Evidence of meeting #122 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was countries.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
Hockey helmets are a completely different thing; they're not under general preferential tariffs. If we are clear, that was under custom tariffs.
Nevertheless, Mr. Moffatt, there is one of you, and several other people who have said it's a good measure. I really want to hear from them and give them an opportunity, because you have had quite a bit of time this morning from opposition members.
Professor, Richard Ivey School of Business, As an Individual
I'm more than happy to yield the floor.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
I would like Mr. Bonnett, and of course Mr. Laws, to tell us what other western countries are doing with regard to GPT. Are there other western countries that provide preferential treatment to countries like Brazil, India, and South Korea, in your industry?
Executive Director, Canadian Meat Council
Are you asking whether there are other countries that, like Canada, offer developing nations a general preferential tariff?
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
With regard to your industry, are there other western countries who provide preferential tariff treatment to countries like Brazil, India, and South Korea?
Executive Director, Canadian Meat Council
I really don't know the answer. I'd have to go back and check that specifically.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
If you get an answer for us, we'd love to have the answer sent to us afterward.
Do you know, Mr. Bonnett?
President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
I wouldn't have details on that.
But I think what this speaks to is a need, even though we're working with a number of bilateral and regional agreements, somehow or other to take a look at the WTO to see whether we can get a multilateral agreement in place, because it is the vehicle that would really deal with these issues. As frustrating as it has been to try to bring this to a conclusion, I think that seeing whether you could get a multilateral agreement at WTO is something a large number of groups would support.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
We've heard that before. In fact, we've heard from other experts who say that multilaterals would be the ideal.
Failing that, what is the best option for reciprocal agreements? Is it simply providing a one-way GPT, or is it trade agreements?
President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
I would agree with your strategy right now. With the stalemate that has taken place with WTO, yes, you have to look into multilateral agreements and also identify a number of different countries, not just one country that you're dealing with.
But I wouldn't lose hope that you could somehow stimulate discussion and make the WTO move forward as well—
President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
—because it also has value, as we saw with the rulings on country of origin labelling. We sometimes forget that WTO has two roles. One is as a negotiating framework; the other is as a decision-making body that can bring some sort of justice to the whole trade discussion.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
I would like to know—Mr. Laws, you can add to this, because I'm going to ask you a question anyway—how the GPT, the preferential tariff, especially for a place such as China, hurts your members.
Executive Director, Canadian Meat Council
I just want to reiterate that Bill C-60, from what I read, actually extends the ability of the government to offer these developed nations a preferential tariff rate. Deciding which country gets on the list is not, from what I read, part of Bill C-60. It's a separate process. I think it would be logical for list to be reviewed, because it is intended to offer preferential tariffs for specific countries to help them to improve their exports.
I'll reiterate that in terms of meat per se, it doesn't affect us specifically, because Canada already has a zero per cent tariff for pork, for instance, for all the countries in the world. But purely from a development standpoint, I think it is important for Canada to offer to those countries that are truly least developed and developing the chance to be on the list.
Again, my personal opinion is that there should be such an opportunity when, as I'm sure it will, the government convenes a meeting to review who gets on the list or posts information on how a country gets on the list. But referring to some international list would, I think, be a very good solution. The World Bank, for instance, I believe posts a list of what countries are under which classification. That would be the way to go.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Thank you very much.
Thank you, Ms. Glover.
I want to thank all our witnesses for being here this morning and for responding to our questions and presenting their remarks. It was a very interesting discussion.
Colleagues, we will convene again tomorrow afternoon. We'll see you then.
The meeting is adjourned.