Should Canada abandon decades-old regulations that govern the highly controlled dairy industry?
"This could be devastating to our dairy sector and to our entire supply management", said the MP.
Ruiter sees Trump's tough talk as an attack on Canada's milk supply management system.
President Donald Trump singled Canada out by name Tuesday as he put dairy farmers north of the border on notice that they are in America's fair-trade sights.
Smith noted the quota system is about making sure all Canadians have dairy products before shipping anything outside the borders.
At issue are changes in Canadian policy that make it harder for US dairy processors to sell ultra-filtered milk, used to make cheese, in Canada.
The system has remained relatively unchanged for decades. Half are in Quebec, but even there, the political unanimity is broken: Conservative MP Maxime Bernier is running for his party's leadership with a pledge to eliminate supply management. Blaney says it's important to preserve the system to protect consumers from the possibility of a new dairy tax.
President Donald Trump continues to characterize NAFTA as a "complete and total disaster" for the United States.
Last week, Trump received a letter from four U.S. dairy industry groups - the National Milk Producers Federation, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the International Dairy Foods Association and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture - that accused Canada of violating its trade commitments to the U.S.
"I think most farmers around here are taking everything that comes out of the USA with a grain of salt", said John McCart, a dairy farmer and the president of the Quebec Farmers' Association.
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And when my son came out, I was so happy for him and happy for us as parents and we love him, and EJ is incredible '. He added that when your kids or family members come out you have to support them because if you don't then who will.
"What's next? The automobile?" It would be a boon for Canadians, and also give Canada a lever in the softwood lumber dispute.
Canada's dairy system survived a WTO challenge in 2002.
As with our agreement to abolish supply management, this would not really be a concession at all.
"The impact is our sales went to zero on April 1 because we have no sales into Canada at this point", said Ellis, CEO of Cayuga Milk Ingredients.
Bernier lashed back at Blaney, accusing him of having other priorities. "And Steven Blaney is working with special interest (groups)", Bernier said. "Those trade agreements traditionally have taken a lot of time and effort to get everybody on the same page and we know we've benefited tremendously on the NAFTA agreement that we have", Brown said. Just two months ago, Trump had warmly greeted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House, assuring reporters at a joint press conference that the trade relationship between the two countries was "outstanding" and would only require some "tweaking".
Following Trump's remarks, the Canadian government has reached out to both the NY and Wisconsin governments. Without a buyer/processor for the milk the farm might have to start selling its cows.
As it stands, the current supply management system gives vast control to a small group of wealthy farmers, according to Martha Hall Findlay, president of the Canada West Foundation, who has studied the system.
Gefvert said Friday's meeting also helped to clarify information to dairy farmers. We used to have 145,000.
At least one local dairy farmer on Wednesday suggested an end to supply-management would mean the end of his family farm. And that money is going to what is now a small number of millionaires. "And if I was a dairy producer that is not facing this right now, better tighten your belt because it's coming if we don't fix this right now", Sauer says.
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