Ritz on Dairy: ‘We have free trade not fair trade’
When it comes to agriculture, member of Parliament Gerry Ritz knows what he’s talking about. The Battlefords-Lloydminster MP held the agriculture portfolio with the Stephen Harper government.
So when U.S. President Donald Trump made threats this week that he would be imposing duties on Canada’s dairy industry, Ritz paid close attention.
“He’s [Trump] really been misinformed on this issue,” Ritz said. “He has made it clear that he is coming after the dairy industry but like softwood, dairy is not and never has been under the NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement] umbrella. So going after these sectors because you want to renegotiate the agreement doesn’t make sense.”
Trump recently stated his plan is to renegotiate NAFTA or terminate it altogether. As for details on the Canadian dairy industry, most of Trump’s commentary has come via Twitter. On Tuesday the president tweeted: “Canada has made business for our dairy farmers in Wisconsin and other border states very difficult. We will not stand for this. Watch!”