Government of Canada and Colombia Work to Remove Remaining Agricultural Barriers to Trade

(Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada)

The Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture, today announced a special round of bilateral technical discussions between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Colombia’s Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA). The meeting confirmed for August 18, 2010, will map out the resolution of the remaining outstanding technical issues between the two countries.

“Canada and Colombia have a strong partnership based on principles of sound science that is paying dividends for our farmers,” said Minister Ritz. “By tying up the final technical details, we are helping hardworking Canadian farmers reap the full benefits of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement when it is officially implemented.”

Colombia lifted its BSE bans on beef in January 2010 and live cattle in April 2010, demonstrating their commitment to science-based approaches to trade.

Colombia is a dynamic emerging market with a population of 48 million and an economy with high growth potential. In 2009, trade on commodities with Colombia totaled $1.2 billion. Opportunities for further growth will be facilitated by the implementation of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which received Royal Assent in Canada in June 2010 and which will come into force once the Government of Colombia completes their domestic approval processes.

Colombia is the third-largest market in South America for Canadian agri-food products. An FTA will open new market opportunities for Canadian farmers and exporters and will help level the playing field vis-à-vis competitors that are also seeking preferential access including the United States and the European Union. The FTA will also have a positive impact on the economy and contribute to creating more jobs in Canada.

New Exemptions to APHIS Inspection Fees on Imports from Canada

(World Trade Interactive)

The Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is adopting as a final rule, with changes, an August 2006 interim rule that removed the exemptions from inspection for imported fruits and vegetables grown in Canada and the exemptions from user fees for commercial vessels, trucks, railroad cars and aircraft, as well as international air passengers, entering the U.S. from Canada. As a result of that rule, all agricultural products imported from Canada are subject to inspection and all commercial conveyances arriving from Canada are subject to user fees.

New Exemptions:

This final rule establishes new user fee exemptions for the following.

• commercial railroad cars that are part of a train that originates and terminates in Canada and no passengers board or disembark and no cargo is loaded or unloaded while the train is in the U.S.

• vessels that travel to Canada only to refuel, upon their return to the U.S.

• barges (i.e., non-self-propelled vessels transporting cargo that is not contained in shipping containers) traveling solely between the U.S. and Canada that carry bulk cargo that originates only in the U.S. or Canada, do not carry any plants or plant products or animals or animal products, and do not carry soil or quarry products from areas in Canada listed as being infested with gypsy moth

Exemptions Denied:

APHIS is not providing a user fee exemption for members of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. “C-TPAT does not have an agricultural component that specifically addresses sanitary or phytosanitary risks,” APHIS states, and “C-TPAT members’ shipments are subject to agricultural inspection regardless of the reduced inspection benefits granted by membership in the program.”

APHIS has also declined to provide an exemption for trucks that originate and terminate in the U.S. and do not load or unload cargo in Canada or that originate and terminate in Canada and do not load or unload cargo in the U.S. Unlike railroad cars, APHIS states, trucks are not bound to a fixed track where stops and loading or unloading may only feasibly occur at designated stations.

Read more and view the source document here.

Organic Products Certification

(CFIA)

As of June 30, 2009, the Organic Products Regulations require mandatory certification to the revised National Organic Standard for agricultural products represented as organic in international and inter-provincial trade, or that bear the federal organic agricultural product legend (or federal logo).

Links:

• List of Certification Bodies accredited by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency

• List of Conformity Verification Bodies

Government of Canada Supports the Agriculture Industry in International Markets

(Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada)

The Government of Canada today launched a new program to help Canadian farmers and exporters sell more products to more international customers. This new Trade and Market Development Program is part of the new Growing Forward agricultural framework.

“You have to create opportunities in international markets to have a competitive farm gate here in Canada,” said Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “By supporting Canadian exporters, we are increasing opportunities for everyone all along the value chain, from farm gate to fork.”

“This program is another way to help agriculture exporters expand opportunities across international borders,” said the Honorable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture).

The Trade and Market Development program will make sure exporters have the information and support they need to sell more products in more markets. It includes a range of initiatives to bring industry success in global and domestic markets. The program will help equip the sector to seize market opportunities and address emerging challenges.

A key component of the program is the AgriMarketing program which will sell more of Canada's safe, high-quality world-class products around the world. For example, the program will help exporters by ensuring the Canada Brand maple leaf is on promotional materials, raising the profile of the good, healthy food our farmers produce.

Growing Forward is a new commitment to Canada's farmers and associated industries that is focused on achieving results, reflects input from across the sector, and will deliver programs that are simpler, more effective and tailored to local needs.

For additional information about the Trade and Market Development Program, please visit here.

U.S. Mulling whether to Revive Dairy Export Subsidy

(FlexNews – Reuters)

The Agriculture Department is in discussions with other U.S. agencies whether it is appropriate to revive dairy export subsidies as a response to U.S. surpluses, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday. Vilsack said consultations included the U.S. trade representative and the State Department and that the ramifications on U.S. trade policy were among the issues. "We are in the process of having discussions with them," said Vilsack during a telephone news conference to announce the donation of surplus dairy products to U.S. feeding programs. He did not say when there would be a decision "if that is a feasible option."

U.S. COOL to Go Ahead Under Scrutiny

(Grainews)

In a move expected to create more uncertainty for [U.S.] importers of Canadian livestock and meat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s final rule on country-of-origin labelling (COOL) will take effect as planned next month.

President Barack Obama’s ag secretary, Tom Vilsack, confirmed that much in a release Friday, but Vilsack also published a letter he wrote to U.S. food industry stakeholders Friday, inviting them to “voluntarily adopt” practices that may tighten COOL beyond importers’ comfort zones.

USDA, Vilsack said in a release, “will be closely reviewing industry compliance with the rule and will evaluate the practicality of the suggestions for voluntary action in my letter.”

Depending on industry’s performance after the final rule takes effect March 16, as outlined in his letter, Vilsack said he would then “carefully consider whether modifications to the (COOL) rule will be necessary to achieve the intent of Congress.”

The “suggestions” in Vilsack’s letter include:

• tighter terminology on labels, including information about what production step took place in a given country, such as “Born in Country X and Raised and Slaughtered in Country Y”;

• voluntary labelling of processed foods, for which the definitions in the final rule “may be too broadly drafted” – meaning that in Vilsack’s view, products subject to curing, smoking, steaming, grilling or broiling should include a voluntary label; and

• a tighter inventory allowance – meaning that where a ground beef package, for example, could previously bear the name a country for up to 60 days even if product from that country isn’t in inventory, that number should be voluntarily reduced to 10 days, Vilsack said, to limit the levels of product without clear COOL and to give the label more credibility.

Read more here.