Dan Darling, President of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) today issued the following statement regarding the Government of Canada’s announcement that it will participate as a third party in CUSMA Dispute Settlement Panel Proceedings in which the US is challenging Mexico’s ban on the use of biotech corn in tortillas or dough.

 

“CAFTA is a strong advocate for upholding the rules-based framework for trade that is enabled by CUSMA. This agreement has been very beneficial to the health of the agricultural sectors in our respective countries, while ensuring the continued availability of sustainably grown and produced agriculture and agri-food products across our continental trading block.

 

For this to continue, all parties to CUSMA have an obligation to ensure that regulatory measures are developed and implemented in accordance with the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) obligations of the agreement. Specifically, SPS measures must be based on scientific and risk-based principles, relevant international standards, and not create unnecessary barriers to trade. We welcome the Government of Canada’s decision to join the Dispute Settlement Panel Proceedings as a third party and re-affirm the need for science and evidence-based decision making.”

 

For further information or for media interviews, please contact Michael Harvey, Executive Director of CAFTA, at michael.harvey@cafta.org

 

What is CAFTA?

CAFTA is a coalition of national organizations that support a more open and fair international trading environment for agriculture and agri-food. Representing the 90% of farmers who depend on trade and ranchers, producers, processors, and agri-food exporters who want to grow the economy through better access to international markets. This includes the beef, pork, meat, grains, cereals, pulses, soybeans, canola as well as the sugar, malt, and processed food industries. The sectors CAFTA represents support over a million jobs in urban and rural communities across Canada.