Dairy is one of the contentious issues Trans Pacific Partnership negotiators are dealing with as they meet today in Hawaii. Dairy Farmers of Canada’s Director of International Relations Yves LeDuc says his country’s market is not closed to dairy imports but is limited because of the proper use of their supply management program.
LeDuc says while the U.S. is concerned about market access and points to Canada’s supply management system, Canada counters that the U.S heavily supports its agriculture domestically through their farm bill which was the largest in history in 2014.
He says if Canada is forced to change its dairy supply management system to adhere to the TPP deal, then the U.S. needs to come to the table on its large domestic support for agriculture.
LeDuc says the three things that need to be balanced in the TPP are market access, export competition and domestic support.
