October 17, 2013
Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper is travelling to Brussels to meet with the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso to conclude talk on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). As a result of the agreement Canada has agreed to raise cheese import quotas from the current 20,000 tons to 37,000 tons and to increase the EU’s share of the quota from 13,000 tons to 30,000 tons. In return Canada will receive concessions on beef and pork that would be worth $1 billion to those industries. Canadian dairy farmers are angered by the agreement claiming that the deal gives exclusive access of 32% of the current fine cheese market in Canada to the EU which they fear will displace domestic products and put small businesses out of business. The deal still needs to be signed off by the EU trade commissioner.
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