International Trade committee  On specific reasons, no, but we are equally frustrated, because we need a resolution. It's extremely challenging for us to plan, to forecast and to promote future business under these circumstances.

International Trade committee  That is correct, sir. It's an open market.

International Trade committee  It makes it very challenging to forecast and to plan, and ultimately it's the Canadian consumer who pays the price.

International Trade committee  We have lived alongside supply management since the 1970s and we stand by supply management. What we would like to see is performance-based allocation of quotas. In a sense, we should measure companies by how they import cheese versus what is produced in Canada, and that's what causes the disadvantage for us at the moment.

International Trade committee  It will allow a greater variety of cheeses to enter Canada with better prices for Canadian consumers.

International Trade committee  Frankly, with regard to specific reasons, no. It's just, “It's under review. It's been postponed.” We're just waiting for a positive outcome for all parties concerned.

International Trade committee  First of all, thank you for your question. From our perspective, it all has to do with the allocation model of the quotas. If we could exercise those allocations in a user-friendly way, we would be able to leverage far more access for cheeses into Canada for Canadian consumers.

International Trade committee  It varies by the trade agreement, but for the most part, yes.

International Trade committee  If we can isolate the CETA quota allocation model, we fall into what are called “pools”. In our situation it almost penalizes us for growth. If we by chance get moved into the larger pool, we will get a smaller allocation. We are penalized for growing our business, and that's something we would like to change.

International Trade committee  On your first point, everything is predicated on the allocation model of the quotas. In our situation, we face erratic allocation of quota or not enough quota, which forces us to move into what's called the “transfer market”, whereby I and my colleagues need to contact other quota holders and ask if they are willing to rent their quota—and, of course, for a fee.

International Trade committee  We find that Bill C-282 will limit the availability of cheeses from around the world for Canadian consumers. It will make it much more difficult to import cheeses from around the world.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. Members of the committee, good afternoon. My name is Joe Dal Ferro, chair of the International Cheese Council of Canada, or ICCC. In my everyday life, I work as president of Finica Food Specialties Ltd., an importer of fine specialty foods based in the Toronto area since 1968.

International Trade committee  We have, until the end of 2023, the possibility of importing British cheeses with the EU quota. That will end at the end of 2023.

International Trade committee  Thank you for your question, first of all. The original method of importing cheese prior to the recent trade agreements was through the WTO quota allocations. They were broken up geographically, non-EU, meaning non-European countries, and then European Union countries. At the time the U.K. was part of the EU, so it qualified under EU quota status.

International Trade committee  Pre-CETA, it was roughly 900,000 kilograms.