The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, and the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, issued the following statement in response to the release of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) dispute settlement panel’s report regarding Canada’s administration of its dairy tariff rate quotas (TRQs) under:
“Canada is very pleased with the outcome of the panel’s report which is a clear victory for Canada. The Panel has made a significant finding by recognizing Canada’s discretion to set TRQ allocation policies, including determining who is eligible to obtain an allocation. We will not negotiate these allocations with countries who seek to weaken Canada’s supply management system.
“Furthermore, the panel’s findings on the use of pools will not undermine Canada’s supply management system and is consistent with the approach taken in the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
“The Government of Canada will continue to preserve, protect and defend our supply management system, as well as stand up for Canada’s dairy industry, its farmers and workers across the country. We will work closely with the dairy industry as we move towards the next phase of the process.”