Canadian Cattle Producers Seek Beef Exclusion from Mercosur Deal

OTTAWA Canadian cattle producers are pressing the federal government to exclude beef from a proposed free trade agreement with the South American Mercosur trade bloc, which the government aims to finalize by the end of the year.

Tyler Fulton, a Manitoba-based cattle producer and president of the Canadian Cattle Association, warned that including beef in the deal would increase Canada's reliance on imports and undermine domestic food security. "A deal with Mercosur that includes beef access makes Canada more dependent on beef imports and hurts food security at home and abroad," Fulton said. He argued that undercut domestic markets from Mercosur countries would prevent Canadian producers from sustaining both local production and global exports.

Canada initiated negotiations for the agreement in 2018 with the Mercosur bloc, comprising Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Proponents of the cattle industry's position emphasize that Canadian beef should not serve as a bargaining chip in the talks. Fulton urged officials to defend the sector's interests firmly during the ongoing discussions.

Merchandise trade between Canada and Mercosur totaled 15.8 billion Canadian dollars...