Ottawa, ON – Luc Berthold, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Agri-food, and Dean Allison, Shadow Minister for International Trade Diversification, today sent a letter to the Agriculture Minister and the Trade Minister calling on the Liberals to update Canadians on the actions they have taken to resolve the Chinese government’s ban on Canadian meat.
“The original ban by the Chinese government of these Canadian products was reportedly due to counterfeit Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) export certificates,” said MP Berthold. “It is our expectation that the CFIA has put in place adequate safeguards to assure the Chinese government that this will not occur again.”
Some commodities, like Canadian soy, have not shipped a single vessel since December. Canadians need to be updated on the status of this ban and know if Canada’s meat products will face a ban similar to canola and soy.
“Canada’s agriculture industry depends on stable trade relationships. This stability allows our farmers and producers to plan appropriately and ensure success. Unfortunately, under this government this has not been the case,” said MP Allison. “The trade barriers currently in place for our agriculture sector will have long-term negative effects not only on our farmers and producers, but the Canadian economy as a whole.”
The Trudeau Liberals must answer these simple questions:
- Has the CFIA addressed the problem of counterfeit export certificates to the satisfaction of the Chinese government? If not, when will this happen?
- How much money is this trade barrier with the Chinese government costing Canada’s pork and beef sectors?
To read the letter, click here.