These comments are direct quotations from the Hansard
documents.
Pork Exports
Mrs.
Diane Finley (Haldimand—Norfolk, CPC): Mr. Speaker, last Friday the
United States department of commerce announced unfair preliminary
anti-dumping duties on Canadian hogs. This decision means that Canadian
hog producers now have to post potentially crippling bonds on their pork
exports to the United States.
I ask the international trade minister, is it not true that the
government's mismanagement of Canada-U.S. relations may result in U.S.
protectionism hurting our farmers once again?
Hon. Jim Peterson (Minister of International Trade, Lib.): Mr.
Speaker, the U.S. trade dispute is very unfortunate. We have an integrated
market in North America and once again the Americans have taken punitive
action against our hog producers who can compete with the best in the
world. We are going to stand behind them and fight this anti-dumping
action with all the resources we have.
Mrs. Diane Finley (Haldimand—Norfolk, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the last
hog trade dispute with the U.S. lasted 15 years. The industry cannot
afford yet another lengthy trade dispute. According to the chairman of the
Manitoba pork council and I quote:
The duties announced today will have a profound effect upon the nation’s
swine exporters.
Why has the government done nothing to prevent this protectionist action
from happening in the first place?
Hon. Jim Peterson (Minister of International Trade, Lib.): Mr.
Speaker, would that we could stop in advance the United States from taking
trade actions against us. We have seen in many cases how it has taken
actions against us, such as on softwood lumber. We have continually won
these actions in the NAFTA and the WTO. We will continue to do this on
behalf of our great hog producers.
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