(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. appeals court rules for environmental groups in biofuel case

New York | Reuters — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled on Friday in favour of environmental groups who argued against the U.S. government’s conclusion that biofuel blending obligations posed no danger to species’ habitats. The Environmental Protection Agency decides on the amount of biofuels that oil refiners must […] Read more

A new bill introduced in Congress directs the U.S. Trade Representative and USDA’s Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack to find some way to re-impose mCOOL labelling.

China takes a liking to U.S. beef

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

Chinese consumers are rapidly taking a liking to U.S. beef. China reopened its market to the U.S. in February last year after a Phase One deal between the two countries removed nearly all the technical barriers that had prevented most U.S. beef from entering China. Volume was tiny for several months but began to pick […] Read more


Canada/U.S. border signage in downtown Detroit. (RiverNorthPhotography/Getty Images)

Canada to lift more border restrictions in weeks to come, Trudeau says

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada will further relax border restrictions in the weeks to come as long as the science supports such a move, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday, suggesting Ottawa would move more quickly than initially announced. Trudeau, under pressure to allow non-essential travel from the U.S., was more categorical than he had […] Read more

(Canada Border Services Agency video screengrab)

Canada taking first step toward lifting border restrictions

U.S. border restrictions still in place until at least June 21

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada on Wednesday took a cautious first step toward easing COVID-19 border restrictions, saying it was prepared to relax quarantine protocols for fully vaccinated citizens returning home starting in early July. Canada’s air and land borders have allowed for only essential travel since March of last year, and Canadians coming home […] Read more


Screengrab from a 2018 video showing cold storage at the JBS beef slaughter and packing plant at Brooks, Alta. (JBS video via YouTube)

JBS plants reopen as White House blames Russia over hack

Washington/Chicago | Reuters — JBS SA employees started returning to U.S. meat plants on Wednesday, a day after the company’s beef operations stopped following a ransomware attack, disrupting meat production in North America and Australia. A notorious Russia-linked hacking group is behind the cyberattack against JBS, a source familiar with the matter said. Brazil’s JBS […] Read more

President Joe Biden signs the American Rescue Plan in the White House Oval Office, March 11, 2021.

Dittmer: New sheriff leans way left

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

As you’ve heard, there’s a new sheriff in town down here. The political, economic and regulatory direction has been turned 180 degrees overnight. Unfortunately, Canada was one of the very first victims of President Biden’s wrath of the leftists. A sorry occurrence for you and for us. The only people likely to be happy that […] Read more


Comment: Still America first

Updated March 11 Depending on your political persuasion, you likely watched President Joe Biden’s inauguration in January with relief, worry or some mix of the two. Will we see a more protectionist U.S. government? Will Biden restore capacity at the World Trade Organization (WTO)? What will the mood be of our largest trading partner and […] Read more

It’s unlikely that President Joe Biden will push trade as hard as former President Donald Trump.

Dittmer: U.S. political outlook for 2021

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

Government bureaucrats and politicians tend to interfere with our lives when it is not necessary, harming our livelihoods, and then refuse to get involved when we need them, to defend our rights, uphold the law or make hard decisions. A long held conservative principle is that the government closest to the people governs best, e.g. […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Architect of the Capitol, VisitTheCapitol.gov)

Dittmer: The state of affairs in the United States

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

Though there may be Supreme Court cases still pending when you read this, it’s looking like Joe Biden will be our next president. The foundation of our constitutional republic is our ability as citizens to direct our government through representatives we elect. With tens of millions of citizens lacking confidence in the outcome of a […] Read more

Photo: iStock

Biden transition team holds talks with biofuel groups -sources

New York | Reuters – U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team has held calls with biofuel groups on topics including compliance with U.S. biofuel blending laws and Biden’s low-carbon climate vision, according to two sources familiar with the conversations. The discussions with biofuel trade groups as well as POET, a top company in the cellulosic […] Read more