Although it does not appear in black and white on the trade plan signed last week between Washington and Ottawa, Canadian officials say they have a promise that the U.S. government would not allow western-state border disruptions to drag on.
If American farmers decided to continue their weekend protests and trade was disrupted, Washington and state governors would intervene, said Canadian trade minister Sergio Marchi.
“If people insist on other methods, we’re hopeful that the U.S. government, which has the mandate on international trade, will do what they have to do to ensure that the rules are respected,” he told a Dec. 4 news conference.
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However, U.S. trade representative Charlene Barshefsky said the threats were not an issue for the U.S. federal government. “We have not addressed in this agreement or in any other agreement the question of border activity,” she told Reuters News Agency.
Canadian agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief said American officials had assured them state governors will support the accord. This should help avoid a repeat of September’s spectacle when some governors ordered state troopers to inspect Canadian farm produce for evidence of pesticides and residues.
Yet two days later, American farmers were stopping trucks on the border with little evidence of state effort to keep the roads open.
There was no immediate reaction from Ottawa.
But referring to the impending border demonstrations, Marchi said it was up to the Americans to make sure no disruption drags on.
“If it (the commitment to trade) means anything, it needs to translate on the ground,” he said. “So the ball is in the American court.”
