Prime Minister pledges help for dairy farmers hit by USMCA

MONTREAL — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says dairy farmers will be compensated for their expected losses under the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, making the pledge directly at a meeting with their representatives on Thursday.

Trudeau met privately with dairy representatives in downtown Montreal amid concerns in the industry that they’re bearing the brunt under the recently concluded free trade pact.

Canadian dairy farmers stand to lose 3.59 per cent of their market to U.S. producers under the new deal, known as USMCA.

“That’s why we’re going to be working with them over the coming weeks and months to figure out exactly what is the compensation they need,” Trudeau said.

“How we can ensure not just that they’re OK, but that they continue to have confidence in the future of the dairy sector in Canada.”

The USMCA is the third free trade agreement in which Canada has agreed to open access to its supply-managed sectors, this time including increased access for eggs, chicken and turkey.

While touting USMCA as a good deal for Canadians by securing access to its largest trading partner and the largest market in the world, Trudeau acknowledged those sacrifices.

“They told me they were worried,” Trudeau said of his meeting with milk producers. “They told me they felt they have continued to give through a number of trade deals they’ve signed, and they’re right.”

Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership dairy farmers ceded 3.25 per cent of the market.