OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 18, 2024 /CNW/ – Agriculture connects so many communities in Canada and the United States, and both countries depend on our strong trade relationship and ongoing cooperation. Earlier this week, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, travelled to Washington, D.C. for meetings with key industry and agri-food stakeholders and U.S. officials, aimed at strengthening those ties and advancing shared priorities.
While in Washington, Minister MacAulay met with the United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. During their meeting, they highlighted the importance of continuing to work collaboratively on mutual priorities with an emphasis on the resiliency of Canada-U.S. food supply chains, food security, environmental sustainability, and rules-based international trade.
During the meeting, Minister MacAulay raised proposed changes in voluntary “Product of USA” labelling regulations for meat and livestock and California’s Proposition 12. The Minister reaffirmed Canada’s concerns that these rules have the potential to restrict trade and disrupt supply chains.
The Minister and Secretary Vilsack took the opportunity to discuss the importance of sustainable agriculture. Canada and the U.S. are working together to accelerate global agricultural innovation on climate change through increased research and development. This includes efforts to identify innovative tools to support decision making, monitoring and measurement of enhanced sustainability and resiliency in agricultural landscapes.
Minister MacAulay also sat down with representatives from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Canadian Cattle Association to discuss reducing trade barriers and the important integrated nature of our beef supply chains.
To conclude his visit, the Minister took part in a reception with key U.S. stakeholders, featuring food and drinks made with both Canadian and U.S. ingredients.
“Canada and the U.S. have a bond like no other in the world. My discussions with our American partners highlighted the important and unique agricultural partnership between our two countries. This is a connection based on shared geography, common values, mutual interests and economic ties, with the shared goal of building a sustainable agricultural sector that strengthens our rural economies, and feeds folks at home and around the world.”
– The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
- This is the first ministerial outreach to the U.S. by Minister MacAulay since his reappointment as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food on July 26, 2023.
- Canada and the U.S. have highly integrated and mutually beneficial supply chains.
- In 2022 Canada-U.S. trade in agriculture and food rose by 14 percent to over USD $70 billion – nearly USD $200 million a day.
- Canada is the second largest agricultural customer of the United States – and the number one agriculture export market for over half of U.S. states.
- On July 1, 2020, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) entered into force, reinforcing Canada’s strong economic ties with the United States and Mexico.
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