Today, we have representatives of the Canadian Borders Services Agency. Allow me to give you some background concerning what happened in 1999.
Milk proteins, or the protein Promilk 872b, had been classified in tariff line 35.02, which is not subject to tariff quotas. Obviously, it was noted there was a problem because in 2003, the protein was reclassified in tariff line 04.04. This was followed by a challenge before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, the Court of Appeal, and so on.
We would like things to go back to what they were with the 2003 decision. I would like the CBSA representatives to explain why, in 2003, it was decided to put Promilk 872b into tariff line 04.04. There must have been good reasons for it. It was not because the CITT overturned the decision that we, as elected officials—obviously the government has the last word—could not go back to the really good 2003 option, which was to put 872b into the right tariff line, as the U.S. did without hesitation.
I would like the representatives of the CBSA to answer. In 1999, did we make a mistake by putting the protein into tariff line 35.02? In 2003, was that mistake corrected by putting the protein into tariff line 04.04? Should we go back to the 2003 situation to fix the problem we have today?
I know this makes you smile, but what I have said does frame the question. If I'm wrong, please feel free to say so.