OTTAWA – The federal government last week announced that 1995 imports of off-shore beef will fall by more than 11 percent from this year’s levels.
It drew praise from Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and a sharp criticism from an Australian official.
The 76,409-tonne quota was negotiated during last year’s world trade talks as Canada’s minimum access requirement for beef from off-shore, mainly Australia and New Zealand.
Imports from the United States, the largest source of foreign beef, are not limited.
There will be a more orderly off-shore import system under the quota allocation rules announced last week, cattlemen’s association general manager Dennis Laycraft said in an interview from Calgary.
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“We would like the level to be lower, but this is what was agreed to and we can live with it,” he said. “I think this will end the surge problem of the first-come-first-served system we have now.”
Under the current import system, the government this year has twice increased the amount of imports to more than 85,000 tonnes because of processor demand. It did not create an orderly flow of imports.
“This will be a better system and it will parallel the American system, which we have wanted,” said Laycraft.
Australia disappointed
But the announcement drew a sharp rejoinder from Des Pearson, first secretary at the Australian High Commission in Ottawa.
“We’re disappointed at the low level,” he said. “It’s very low and past levels have shown there is a demand for our product in the Canadian market. It is ironic that at the same time the government is introducing its GATT legislation to free up trade, it is becoming more restrictive on our product.”
The cattlemen’s association and government officials predicted there will not be pressure from processors next year to raise that level because there will be plenty of Canadian grass-fed beef available as Canadian beef herds are culled.
The government also announced import levels for dairy, chicken and egg products now covered by supply management import restrictions that will be converted to tariffs Jan. 1.
