NPPC asks Canada to stop swine subsidies before trade talk kick-off

The National Pork Producers Council of the United States has asked that Canada stop its hog subsidy programs before entering the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks.

Before the start of entering into talks leading to the US joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (an Asia-Pacific regional trade agreement), the NPPC remarked that, if similar subsidies were in place in United States, US pork production would double in ten years, which would adversely influence Canadian pork markets.

“The Canadian subsidy programs distort the North American hog and pork market, limiting the growth of US production, employment and profitability,” said Doug Wolf, NPPC’s immediate past president and chairman of its trade committee. “Canada’s entry into the TPP negotiations should be contingent on renunciation of its trade-distorting subsidies.”

In response to criticism of its subsidy programs, Canada has pointed to the U.S. Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (MCOOL) law, which the World Trade Organization last November said violates U.S. trade obligations. But the U.S. pork industry did not support MCOOL, and NPPC is urging the United States to comply with the upcoming WTO appellate ruling on the U.S. appeal of the earlier decision.

“You can’t argue that MCOOL distorts the hog markets then ignore the far greater impact of the Canadian subsidy programs,” Wolf said.

For more information go to NPPC