
Tag Archives international trade

Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala makes history as new head of WTO
Geneva-based body leaderless for six months; Trump paralyzed some of WTO's functions
Geneva/Washington | Reuters — Three months after the Trump administration rejected her, former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala received unanimous backing on Monday to become the first woman and first African director-general of the World Trade Organization. A self-declared “doer” with a track record of taking on seemingly intractable problems, Okonjo-Iweala will have her work […] Read more

Grain Growers of Canada lobby Parliament Hill
Agriculture can help restart Canada's economy and the federal government help by addressing some issues, group says
Agriculture can help revitalize Canada’s post-COVID economy, but the federal government should clear the track for it. That means updating regulations to encourage technological innovation, improving market access for agricultural exports and recognizing farm practices that help the environment, Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) says. The organization, which represents 15 regional, provincial and national grain […] Read more

Canadian producer builds pasture-to-plate beef business in Mongolia
Blending modern feedlot practices with tradition is opening new doors for a small feedlot in Mongolia
When Jeremy and Roxy Thiessen first served their home-finished beef to friends, their guests declared they’d never tasted anything like it. While this is often how stories of direct-marketing success begin, the Thiessens had a distinct advantage based on their location and market demands, providing a unique opportunity for this family. At first glance, the […] Read more

Comment: Hold steady with China
In mid-September, our foreign affairs minister announced that Canada was dropping trade talks with China. “I don’t see the conditions being present now for these discussions to continue at this time,” François-Philippe Champagne told Nathan Vanderklippe of the Globe and Mail. “The China of 2020 is not the China of 2016.” This was hardly surprising […] Read more

Dittmer: U.S. exports uneven but showing strength
Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer
How is the export situation for U.S. beef into China and Asia? In general, Japan, our number one market and South Korea, our number two, are countries that have been pretty successful at containing the novel coronavirus. Japan has dealt with some flare-ups this summer and South Korea likewise but their numbers are very small […] Read more

CCA Reports: CCA focuses on COVID-19 recovery, trade and public engagement
From the August 2020 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Since mid-May, we have seen provinces move to slowly reopen their economies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the impacts of COVID-19 on the beef industry and the greater Canadian economy will not be short-term, we are optimistic that the agriculture sector can assist in Canada’s post-COVID-19 recovery. In recent weeks, processing capacity has […] Read more

Dittmer: Surveying the field of international trade
Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer
Okay, the web says Canada is a “constitutional monarchy” with a “Westminster-style parliamentary democracy.” Exactly how do Canadians expect mere Americans to savvy all that? The question occurred to me reading that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump appear to have the same respect for the rule of law, when it comes to […] Read more

Trade deals herald a promising year ahead
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay
The new decade begins with much promise for the North American cattle/beef industry. Several key trade deals will benefit the red meat sectors in all three countries, including developments in China and the ratification by the U.S. Congress of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). China’s ongoing efforts to fill the protein hole caused by the […] Read more

Dittmer: Why the U.S. wants to reform the WTO
Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer
Being an export-oriented beef industry and veteran of the mCOOL fiasco, Canadian cattle producers know what the initials WTO stand for (World Trade Organization). The mCOOL deal boldly illustrated one of the major problems with the WTO — it takes forever to get anything resolved. Our joint experience with mCOOL was not the worst example. […] Read more

Beef and veal exports up in 2019
Markets: News Roundup from the December 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
The latest numbers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Statistics Canada show that beef and veal exports grew significantly in 2019. As of September 30, Canada had exported a total of 330,757 tonnes of beef and veal, compared to 294,527 in the same period last year, a growth of 12 per cent. The dollar value […] Read more