U.S. not trying to get Canada to end supply management: ag secretary
MIDGELL, P.E.I. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said Friday he’s not pushing for Canada to do away with its supply management system that controls the price and supply of dairy, eggs and chicken.
Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay hosted Perdue at his family ’s farm in Midgell, P.E.I., where they discussed NAFTA and Canada’s supply management system.
They held a friendly joint news conference, but the meeting came at a tense time for the two countries on trade issues: U.S. President Donald Trump has said he wants the supply management system dismantled, blasting the federal Liberals for charging a 270-per-cent tariff on imported dairy products.
Perdue told reporters that the two countries benefit from open markets across the border, but added: “We’re not here though to dictate to Canada … to do away with its supply management system.”
“We do think that we have a request that the supply be managed so that we do not over-produce and depress world milk-solid prices in that way,” said Perdue.
“Hopefully we’re moving toward a more reciprocal arrangement there that really could be, in light of NAFTA, be really free trade among North America in that way. We all have our interests and Canada has an embedded supply management system in their dairy industry, and it’s not our desire to do away with that, just to regulate it in a way that does not depress world prices.”
MacAulay called the supply management system “strong,” and said Canada will continue to defend it. “What I want to do is make sure our farmers get a fair deal and Sonny wants to make sure his farmers get a fair deal. But we both understand that it’s a win-win situation, it’s not a win-lose situation,” said MacAulay on his farm, where he was born, raised and worked as a farmer. “What Sonny and I are doing are making sure that we have a great rapport and that we respectively defend our farmers in each country.”
Agriculture is not the only source of friction between the two countries. Trump called Justin Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest” in a Twitter tirade after the prime minister spoke against American tariffs on steel and aluminum.
On the NAFTA talks, Perdue said Friday the deal has been good for farmers across North America, but needs some renewing and modernization. “I appreciate the president deferring his decision over withdrawing from NAFTA, which I think would have been the wrong decision,” said Perdue.
When asked about a timeline for NAFTA talks, Perdue said: “The president, interestingly enough, is a unique negotiator — does not respond to deadlines that much.”
“We want to get it right and we want to get it done quickly,” he said.
Conservative agriculture critic Luc Berthold said he hoped what appeared to be an amicable meeting is not a sign that Canada is willing to make compromises on supply management. “(MacAulay) kept the door open to make some concessions,” the Quebec MP said. “I think he needs to give us more detail about what for him, and for his government, is a win-win agreement.”