AgWired

It’s a trade war. One that really doesn’t matter to the Americans and puts one ag sector against the other in Canada. I can’t believe how we are so prone to shoot ourselves in the foot. Be that as it may. The Canadian Pork Council will press for the elimination of countervail and antidumping duties on imported unprocessed U.S. grain corn when the Canadian International Trade Tribunal begins pubic hearings next week.

In December, the Canada Border Services Agency found evidence the Americans were dumping subsidized U.S. grain corn into Canada and imposed provisional antidumping and countervailing duties totaling $1.65 US per bushel on the imports. Two days ago the CBSA reaffirmed that decision, indicating the provisional duties will remain until the Canadian International Trade Tribunal concludes its injury investigation.
Canadian Pork Council Executive Director Martin Rice says corn users will argue to eliminate those duties when the CITT conducts public hearings. “Regardless of any improvement in the duty rate we will still take a full investigation of the final injury investigation to challenge the injury claim and to prevent the duty from becoming permanent,” said Rice. “We have seen corn imports actually decline during this period of investigation so the argument the imported corn is creating injury from changes in imported corn is simply not easily substantiated.”

The CPC’s arguments will say increased corn imports have not adversely affected the corn prices to Canadian corn producers. If the Canadian International Trade Tribunal finds the imports harm Canadian corn growers, the duties will become permanent. However, if it finds no injury, the duties will stop. The CBSA will refund duties already collected and the case will end. The CITT will begin public hearings in Ottawa March 20 and make a decision by April 18.

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