CCA Reports: CCA focuses on COVID-19 recovery, trade and public engagement

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


The Canadian Cattlemen's Association elected a new leadership team during its recent AGM in Ottawa, Ont.

CCA Report: CCA releases priorities document ahead of federal election

From the August 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

It’s been a busy few months for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). Since my last column, CCA has released its priorities document with information for all candidates running for Parliament in the 43rd general election in October. Available on cattle.ca, the document outlines CCA’s recommendations to further position the beef industry as a key sector […] Read more

Closeup of the flags of the North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA members on textile texture. NAFTA is the world's largest trade bloc and the member countries are Canada, United States and Mexico. 3D rendering with detailed textured grunge effect on closeup.

Dittmer: Ratifying the new NAFTA deal

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

With all the hoopla over the U.S.-China negotiations, the ratification of the re-done NAFTA trade deal (USMCA-CUSMA) hasn’t been in the news much. But its passage is critical to all three nations involved. The issue has shifted from the diplomats and negotiators to the politicians. That’s sad and bad. In the U.S., the treaty is […] Read more


A renegotiated NAFTA was supposed to bring an end to steel and aluminum tariffs on member countries. So why are they still in place?

Enough is enough on tariffs

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

I’m not sure what’s happening in Canada but in the States, the steel and aluminum tariffs the U.S. put on Canada are not being mentioned at all. A search of the media stories does not show anything much up in Canada either. How can it be that something that important between two neighbours is escaping […] Read more

Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, shown here at a Nov. 1, 2018 press conference, considers the steel and aluminum tariffs the Trump administration imposed against Canada illegal.

USMCA frictions continue

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

After months of negotiation, it looked like maybe it would get easier. Yes, getting the USMCA through national legislatures would be difficult and the steel and aluminum tariffs and the retaliatory tariffs were still in place. But negotiations on steel and aluminum tariffs were ongoing and intense, we were told. Yet up until the night […] Read more


Interest in Canadian beef in European Union countries continues to grow and is an opportunity for Canadian producers to produce more EU beef.

CCA Report: Trade focus bears fruit for Canadian beef producers

From the January 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) focus on trade and market access priorities continued to bear fruit in 2018 and set the stage for a sustainable future for Canadian beef production. The events of 2018 created unprecedented opportunity for producers as we head into the new year. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) […] Read more

North American trade deal signed

Trade: News Roundup from the January 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Officials from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on November 30 as officials gathered in Buenos Aires for the G20 summit. Leaders have agreed on a deal in principle but legislators in all three countries still must pass the USMCA before it replaces NAFTA. Negotiations have been marked by discord, […] Read more


Unfinished business

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

I had a discussion recently with a trade expert from the Canadian Consulate in Denver. The occasion was a celebration of the conclusion of the USMCA. Our discussion revolved around getting rid of the steel and aluminum tariffs the U.S. had put on Canadian and Mexican exports of those products. That is the key to […] Read more

Undeterred by tariffs, U.S. beef exports were up nine per cent from a year ago seen January through August.

Tariffs remain irritant

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

One word — relief — summed up the completion of a new trade pact to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. Agricultural leaders in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico all breathed deep sighs of relief after the three countries signed the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. That’s because the new pact leaves intact all the elements […] Read more