OTTAWA – Agriculture minister Ralph Goodale met his new American counterpart for a friendly chat last week and set a few things straight:
- Canada has no intention of extending last year’s agreement to limit wheat exports to the U.S., once the one-year deal expires Sept. 12.
- Canada will defend the Canadian Wheat Board against U.S. criticisms.
- The battle over Canada’s high protective import tariffs on dairy, poultry and eggs will be fought through trade panels rather than political compromise.
These are traditional Canadian positions but it was the first time new U.S. agriculture secretary Dan Glickman heard them first-hand.
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Goodale travelled to Washington May 3 for the meeting.
It was a get-to-know-you session, Goodale said when he returned to Ottawa.
“We didn’t wade into a lot of detail,” he said.
“But we canvassed some of the issues that are on our agenda. I think there was a real desire on both sides of the table to have a positive management of Canada-U.S. trade.”
Goodale said he found Glickman to be a politician with “a positive, constructive approach.” The relationship has gotten off on the right foot, he said.
If that continues through the hard bargaining to follow, it will be a marked contrast to the often-testy relationship that developed between Goodale and former U.S. agriculture secretary Mike Espy.
Goodale said he briefed Glickman on Canadian agricultural budget cuts, including the decision to abolish transportation subsidies for grain Aug. 1.
He said he hoped Canada’s decision to abandon its export subsidies will be an inspiration to the United States and the European Union to begin dismantling their own extensive farm subsidy systems now in place.
