Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to respond to the comments of the opposition this evening. However, I must remind the member that his comments in no way, shape or form are related to the question he asked in the House. That is what I will be responding to because I believe that is what his constituents want an answer to.
The United States has requested a NAFTA chapter 20 consultation concerning the application of Canada's World Trade Organization tariff equivalents to U.S. dairy and poultry products. The initial round of consultations took place on March 1 in Ottawa.
We in Canada have consistently maintained that both the FTA and the NAFTA make clear that Canada has preserved all its GATT rights with respect to supply-managed agriculture goods, including the right to apply the World Trade Organization tariffication provisions to U.S.-origin agricultural goods. In our view, Canada's approach to tariffication of dairy and poultry products is fully consistent with our international trade obligations under both NAFTA and the WTO.
With respect to ice cream and yoghurt, in response to the 1989 GATT ice cream and yoghurt panel report, we indicated that Canada would implement the panel findings in the context of the Uruguay Round. In the Uruguay Round, Canada and all other WTO parties agreed to tarrify their import restrictions. In our view, Canada's tariffication of quotas on ice cream and yoghurt addresses the GATT panel report of 1989.
I can assure this House, all the dairy farmers and the opposition that we will continue to strongly defend Canada's tariffication approach on all supply-managed commodities.