increase font size
It is estimated that Canada’s disregard for the CPTPP rules denied New Zealand dairy exporters over $120 million in trade opportunities.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
This follows Canada’s confirmation of its approach to administering its Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) dairy import quotas that will again place most of the quota access in the hands of domestic processors, who have limited interest in importing from CPTPP countries.
"DCANZ agrees with the New Zealand Government assessment that Canada has cynically moved to replicate the outcome that the dispute panel ruled against," says DCANZ executive director Kimberly Crewther.
"The costs of Canada’s flouting trade rules are mounting for the New Zealand dairy industry,’ she says.
It is estimated that Canada’s disregard for the CPTPP rules denied New Zealand dairy exporters over $120 million in trade opportunities in the first three years of the CPTPP agreement, and these costs continue to grow.
Earlier this week, Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
New Zealand initiated the dispute because Canada was not complying with Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) rules, blocking dairy exporters’ access to its market.
A CPTPP arbitration panel ruled decisively in New Zealand’s favour. Canada had until 1 May to change how it administered its tariff rate quotas - to stop giving its own domestic industry priority access, and to allow exporters to benefit fully from the market access negotiated in good faith between Canada and New Zealand.
McClay says he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ and says the Canadian government still has time to honour its obligations to New Zealand both in the spirit and substance of the agreement.
NZ dairy exporters are also concerned that Canada is disregarding its WTO trade commitments.
Crewther points out that not only is Canada restricting access into its market, but there’s also a rising tide of subsidised Canadian dairy exports in other markets, contrary to previous WTO legal rulings.
“This is putting a billion dollars of New Zealand dairy protein exports to global markets at risk,” she says.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters often describes NZ as a small and isolated nation situated 'just north of the penguins' but says in terms of global affairs, NZ and other small nations should be judged on the quality of their arguments and not the size of their military.
Exports of dairy products will be included in the negotiations New Zealand has with India on a free trade agreement.
A 100-year-old Canadian irrigation district has taken inspiration from Canterbury irrigation company Central Plains Water's success in converting from an open race irrigation system to a gravity-fed piped system.
OPINION: Donald Trump's focus on Canada is causing concern for the country’s dairy farmers.
Canada's blatant manipulation of international trade rules around the export of subsidised dairy products is likely to escalate further with the new Trump administration now in the White House.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the 2025 Fieldays has been one of more positive he has attended.
A fundraiser dinner held in conjunction with Fieldays raised over $300,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
Recent results from its 2024 financial year has seen global farm machinery player John Deere record a significant slump in the profits of its agricultural division over the last year, with a 64% drop in the last quarter of the year, compared to that of 2023.
An agribusiness, helping to turn a long-standing animal welfare and waste issue into a high-value protein stream for the dairy and red meat sector, has picked up a top innovation award at Fieldays.
The Fieldays Innovation Award winners have been announced with Auckland’s Ruminant Biotech taking out the Prototype Award.
Following twelve years of litigation, a conclusion could be in sight of Waikato’s controversial Plan Change 1 (PC1).
OPINION: The Greens aren’t serious people when it comes to the economy, so let’s not spend too much on their…
OPINION: PM Chris Luxon is getting pinged lately for rolling out the old 'we're still a new government' line when…
