The Canadian government is trying to build an international coalition of pork exporters to oppose the European Union’s reintroduction of export subsidies on some pork products.
Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz told the House of Commons agriculture committee Dec. 12, “I have calls in to the U.S., the Australian and the New Zealand governments (so) we can work together on a push back on that particular issue.”
He said a letter also has been sent to Brussels and the European Commission “saying that we are discouraged by that as we move forward in Geneva to a new WTO (World Trade Organization) agreement.”
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The EU has announced that because of low prices and falling profits for European hog producers, it will begin paying 75 cents per kilogram as a subsidy to help capture export markets.
Last week, there was some confusion about whether the subsidies are yet in effect.
A statement from Ritz said they started Nov. 30. But his comments to the committee indicated there still are several decisions to be made in Brussels before they are final.
The Canadian Pork Council, facing an unprecedented meltdown in its industry, has said EU export subsidies could lower Canadian export prices by as much as $5 per head.
