certherfbeef
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Just saw this in the cow/calf weekly
Alberta Cattlemen To Sue U.S. Over Border Closure
This week, a group known as Canadian Cattlemen for Fair Trade (CCFT) announced its filing of "the first of many" Notices of Intent to Submit Claims against the U.S. under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The first of these are for about $150-million in claims for the continued U.S. border closure to Canadian live cattle.
The claimants say the U.S. is acting in "an arbitrary and discriminatory manner" to keep the border closed administratively while the U.S. government has declared Canadian beef as safe.
Rick Paskal, a CCFT founding member, says: "The Americans kept telling us the border closure was a temporary measure. We're well into another year and nobody knows when the border will re-open, if ever. It's time to do something about this problem, before it's too late."
Paskal also notes: "We Canadians have invested a lot of money in this industry on the promise of an open border and a single North American cattle market. There's just no good reason for the border to remain closed, when even the scientists have given the 'all clear'."
Paskal says CCFT members are exercising the rights negotiated under NAFTA Chapter 11 to claim damages when another NAFTA government takes actions that give an unfair advantage to its own investors in the North American Free Trade Area. Find out more about the CCFT action at http://www.ccft.info.
Meanwhile, this week, the Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA), meeting in Ottawa with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada representatives to discuss contingency and industry adjustment strategies, said a mass cull of Canadian cattle is not a part of those talks.
CCA's strategy covers seven key areas:
Increased slaughter of Canadian cattle with a high priority to increase Canadian processing capacity.
Development of a delayed marketing strategy.
Alternative tax strategies.
Cash advances/loan guarantees/debt restructuring.
Canadian beef usage and export market diversification.
Increased surveillance/slaughter of cattle born prior to the feed ban.
Continued pursuit of all avenues to restore live cattle export trade.
Find a discussion paper with further details at http://www.cattle.ca.
Alberta Cattlemen To Sue U.S. Over Border Closure
This week, a group known as Canadian Cattlemen for Fair Trade (CCFT) announced its filing of "the first of many" Notices of Intent to Submit Claims against the U.S. under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The first of these are for about $150-million in claims for the continued U.S. border closure to Canadian live cattle.
The claimants say the U.S. is acting in "an arbitrary and discriminatory manner" to keep the border closed administratively while the U.S. government has declared Canadian beef as safe.
Rick Paskal, a CCFT founding member, says: "The Americans kept telling us the border closure was a temporary measure. We're well into another year and nobody knows when the border will re-open, if ever. It's time to do something about this problem, before it's too late."
Paskal also notes: "We Canadians have invested a lot of money in this industry on the promise of an open border and a single North American cattle market. There's just no good reason for the border to remain closed, when even the scientists have given the 'all clear'."
Paskal says CCFT members are exercising the rights negotiated under NAFTA Chapter 11 to claim damages when another NAFTA government takes actions that give an unfair advantage to its own investors in the North American Free Trade Area. Find out more about the CCFT action at http://www.ccft.info.
Meanwhile, this week, the Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA), meeting in Ottawa with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada representatives to discuss contingency and industry adjustment strategies, said a mass cull of Canadian cattle is not a part of those talks.
CCA's strategy covers seven key areas:
Increased slaughter of Canadian cattle with a high priority to increase Canadian processing capacity.
Development of a delayed marketing strategy.
Alternative tax strategies.
Cash advances/loan guarantees/debt restructuring.
Canadian beef usage and export market diversification.
Increased surveillance/slaughter of cattle born prior to the feed ban.
Continued pursuit of all avenues to restore live cattle export trade.
Find a discussion paper with further details at http://www.cattle.ca.