International Trade Committee on Nov. 20th, 2020

Evidence of meeting #6 for International Trade in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was negotiations.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Trade Between Canada and the United Kingdom: A Potential Transitional Trade Agreement

MPs speaking

Judy Sgro

Tracy Gray

Terry Sheehan

Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay

Also speaking

Doug Forsyth Chief Negotiator for the Canada-United Kingdom Transitional Trade Agreement, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

Steve Verheul Chief Negotiator and Assistant Deputy Minister, Trade Policy and Negotiations, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

Aaron Fowler Chief Agriculture Negotiator and Director General, Trade Agreements and Negotiations, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Janice Charette High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Clerk of the Committee Ms. Christine Lafrance

3:15 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

Mr. Forsyth, I have heard that from other agriculture guys. My concern is the minister hasn't. My concern is that the political members haven't. It's the same concern I have with our looking at legislation. We haven't seen that all levels of government have been consulted. I'm glad you have been because you're right in the heart of it. I'm glad you have an open door. If you didn't have, there would have been no input into anything here, so I appreciate what you have done, but I have no proof here that the minister has, so I look forward to seeing the minister here next week to ask her that question.

The other question I have is in regard to press releases or articles that came out from Bloomberg, and I think Canadian Press said that we're just days away, and this article was days ago.

Where did that come from? Are we just days away, or how close is this thing? I think we have made our point very clear that timelines are ticking here. How does a leak happen like that when it doesn't come to Parliament first?

3:15 p.m.

Chief Negotiator for the Canada-United Kingdom Transitional Trade Agreement, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

Doug Forsyth

I have seen the media reports, but the leaks did not come from the Canadian side, certainly, that I'm aware of. I'm not sure where they came from, but as I mentioned in one of my previous answers, I'm quite confident that we can reach conclusion very shortly.

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

When we look at the agreement itself, were there any discussions with the EU saying, “We're going to take your TRQ and reduce it, and then take that amount and give it to the U.K.”?

3:20 p.m.

Chief Negotiator for the Canada-United Kingdom Transitional Trade Agreement, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

Doug Forsyth

I think very early on in the discussions we did have those kinds of questions raised both by the U.K. and the EU. The EU was very clear that, with the U.K. leaving the European Union, they would no longer be entitled to any of the TRQs as a new member, and they would have to negotiate something with Canada.

November 20th, 2020 / 3:20 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

Would they have access to the TRQ through their own agreement with the EU?

3:20 p.m.

Chief Negotiator for the Canada-United Kingdom Transitional Trade Agreement, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

Doug Forsyth

They have access to the TRQ now because they are in the transition part of it, but once they are out, they will have no access to the TRQs.

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

They can't negotiate TRQs back in their agreement with the EU?