Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee amended the controversial agricultural trade bill Wednesday and are scheduled to send it to the House of Commons.
A private member’s bill introduced by Bloc Quebecois MP Luc Thériault (C-282) would prohibit Canada’s trade negotiators from making future concessions that would open markets for protected dairy, eggs and poultry. be.
The block bill aims to protect Canada’s dairy industry from further economic losses as American dairy farmers continue to protest against Canada. But with President-elect Trump returning to the White House, standing up for these farmers risks a trade war that could cause economic damage far beyond agricultural products.
“This is not a supply management bill, but rather a trade policy bill,” Sen. Peter Harder told the committee when introducing the amendment. “I think we need to de-risk this bill.”
CBC’s Janice McGregor looks at what Canada’s dairy industry can expect ahead of a second Trump administration, where trade is expected to be a big issue. Correction: This video has been updated to remove incorrect text regarding invoice status.
Part of market access for foreign competitors has been the last card Canada had to cut in order to strike major trade deals with the European Union and Pacific Rim trading partners for the past decade, and in 2018. It was a key element in efforts to appease President Trump during renegotiations. About the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The Harder amendment would extend the prohibition on new concessions to existing trade agreements (such as the revised NAFTA) or renegotiations of existing agreements (such as the Future Review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, CUSMA, 2026), or the proposed amendments to the bill. Treaty negotiations already underway at the time of entry into force (such as ongoing negotiations with Canada and the United Kingdom, where access to the cheese market is a bottleneck).
The amendment was approved by the committee on a 10-3 vote. Mark Gold, the Liberal government’s representative in the Senate, participated in the committee’s review of the bill and voted against it. This is in line with recent statements by Trade Minister Mary Ng. Letter to senators urging them to pass the bill quickly.
There were enough independent senators around the table who shared Harder’s concerns and supported the amendment.
“While the committee respects the will of the House, we disagree that this bill represents sound public policy,” said Sen. Marty Deacon, adding that many of the 52 witnesses It amplified the concerns expressed. Who testified before senators this fall? — Far more people were consulted than the Commons Trade Committee in approving C-282.
Conservative senators point out that only four senators not appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are voting, and the Liberals do not have the political will to vote against it in parliament. He suggested that the bill was being weakened through the “back door” in the Senate. house.
In addition to Harder’s amendments, the committee will make “observations” on the bill when it reports it to the full Senate for a final vote, saying the move should not be interpreted as a lack of support for farmers. It is clear that there is no.
The committee “would like to make clear that it takes no position on Canada’s supply management and has made its decision focused on the impact of this bill on Canada’s important trade relationships as a trade-dependent export nation.” says the finding.
The bill passed the House of Commons with broad support from all four political parties, with only a few Liberals and a dozen Conservatives voting against it. But like other private member bills, the path to passage has been slow. In particular, non-governmental bills are not given priority consideration in the Senate.
Earlier this fall, in a bid to hasten passage of a bill that would resonate with the Bloc’s rural base, Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet made passing the bill one of two conditions for the Liberal Party. Must meet by October 29th This is because the Bloc continues to vote against the motion of no confidence in the House of Commons. When that deadline was missed last month, Blanchett announced the bloc would work to bring down the Trudeau government.
If the full Senate accepts the committee’s report and amends C-282, it will be sent back to the House of Commons for reconsideration. However, the commons I’ve been stuck for weeks A filibuster is a never-ending series of debates over privilege and consent motions that block any attempt to return to government business.
Even if MPs return to their legislative work at some point, the block bill will become a priority for other Liberals for the remainder of the House session, as next fall’s federal election date looms fast. It is not clear whether it will be replaced.
Another confidence motion risks bringing Congress to a halt sooner, leading to a proliferation of private members’ bills like this one.
The Senate’s sober review of C-282 began long before President Trump was confirmed back in the White House. But his escalating trade threats may focus attention on Canada’s new dairy protections that could anger the United States and cause economic damage to other industries.
“I don’t think so. [C-282] “It’s of great interest to many policymakers in Washington, D.C., especially beyond those focused on the U.S.-Canada relationship,” said John Dickerman, vice president of U.S. policy at the Business Council of Canada. Ta.
“If that bill were to pass, that would change things immediately and would cause widespread concern among policymakers in Washington, D.C., who are responsible for trade.
“Concern is probably too conservative a word to use there. It could be particularly urgent for the future of the U.S.-Canada relationship.” [the mandatory review of CUSMA in 2026] I’m being watched. ”
Carlo Dade, director of trade at the Canada West Foundation, recently returned from a meeting with Trump campaign insiders in Washington and put the threat in even harsher terms.
“It’s a red flag being waved at the table. It’s putting a target on our backs unnecessarily.”
The Biden administration has sparked a series of controversies over how Canada administers tariff-free dairy quotas under CUSMA to the benefit of domestic processors.
“We have come up with a quick solution for the following authors. trading techniques And now we’re back to legislating to preserve our ill-gotten gains. That’s a polite reading from an American perspective. If you’re willing to throw out a bunch of four-letter words, you can get closer to how they feel about this,” Dade said.
“The Americans are going to demand concessions. In their perception, we not only deceived them by promising access that didn’t exist in the initial negotiations, but then reversed course and righted that mistake.” It’s preventing things.”
Jimmy Jean, chief economist at Desjardins, said U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to impose sweeping tariffs on imports could spark a trade dispute and disrupt Canada’s economy.
New Zealand is involved in a similar dispute over Canada’s alleged non-compliance with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which opened Canada’s dairy market to Trans-Pacific partners.
“There are other countries that are trying to align themselves with the United States, so bashing Canada could be an easy advantage for those who are trying to gain support from the United States,” Dade warned.
Inu Manak, a trade expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the current trade dispute is a sign that the system under CUSMA is not working to everyone’s satisfaction.
“The Trump administration sees everything as transactional, right? So for them, they’re going to say, ‘Look, we’ve got to stop this,’ and they’re going to ask the prime minister to do exactly that. ” she said. “I think the Trump administration will be very vocal about this.
“I think what we’re trying to get to is the relationship between the United States and Canada on trade is very tense. But it’s tense because both countries are not willing to compromise any further. .”
