Prime Minister Justin Trudeau receives a standing ovation during Question Period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on May 29, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Chris Wattie)

Canada moves to ratify USMCA ahead of Pence visit

Ottawa | Reuters — The Canadian government formally presented draft legislation to ratify the new North American Trade deal to parliament on Wednesday, less than 24 hours ahead of a visit by U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presented the bill to the House of Commons, confirming a Reuters story from Tuesday that […] Read more


Dairy farmers have been concerned about the continued expansion of the dairy market with the signing of three trade deals which all gave up access to Canada’s dairy market.

Easing concern about CUSMA dairy concessions

Al Mussell sees potential for some Canadian ingredients to continue crossing border

Once the dust has settled on the ratifications of the Canada-United States-Mexico trade agreement (CUSMA), access to U.S. markets for certain Canadian dairy ingredients could meet or even exceed what previously existed. At least that was the assertion made by Al Mussell, research lead at Guelph-based Agri-Food Economic Systems, during a recent dairy producer information […] Read more

Aaron Fowler, Canada’s chief agriculture trade negotiator.

Canadian negotiator said CUSMA deal had to be done

The Canadian negotiators received pressure to end supply management until late in the negotiations

Canadian agriculture negotiators were dealing with proposals from the United States that would end supply management into September, 2018, not long before the deal was eventually completed at the end of September. That goes against the assurances of U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue while visiting Canada last summer that the Americans didn’t want an end […] Read more





Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi shake hands during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Singapore this past August.

Opinion: Canada’s new foreign charm offensive

Capital Letters with Kelsey Johnson of iPolitics

In the months after U.S. President Donald Trump was elected to the Oval Office, the Trudeau government launched a major charm offensive. Minister after minister headed south for meetings with American officials including congressmen, senators, governors and senior staff within the Trump administration. Parliamentary committees travelled south to meet with their American counterparts and Canadians […] Read more



Sugar beets are grown on more than 300 farms across Canada.

Some sweetness found in bitter USMCA deal?

Western sugar beet growers get more access to U.S. market

Flying under the radar in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade is a small change in Canada’s access to the American sugar markets — something that the United States has historically guarded with protectionist policies. In a news release expressing disappointment with many of the concessions granted during trade talks, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture […] Read more