As High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ralph Goodale is in the midst of issues important to Canadian farmers.
Since his 2021 appointment, Goodale has pushed the U.K. to drop what Canada claims to be illegal restrictions on imports of Canadian beef. Canada has also struggled with the European Union over implementation of the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) since 2014.
When interviewed Nov. 28, 2023, Goodale was confident Canadian beef would eventually get access to the U.K. market. He still is, even though the U.K. paused negotiations Jan. 24 on a new post-Brexit trade deal with Canada.
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In early 2021, Canada and the U.K. negotiated a Trade Continuity Agreement giving the U.K. continued access to the Canadian market. However, the U.K.’s three-year quota to export cheese to Canada expired Dec. 31, 2023.
“This time frame was clearly laid out in writing by both countries and is consistent with the U.K.’s terms of departure from the EU,” Goodale wrote in a Jan. 29 op-ed. “The U.K. bears the prime responsibility for dealing with the consequences.”
When it paused trade talks, the U.K. alluded to access to Canada’s cheese market and “the Rules of Origin.” Trading partners typically spell out such rules to define domestic goods eligible for tariff preferences, as opposed to non-domestic products that have too much foreign content to qualify for breaks, Goodale wrote.
“Canada has successfully negotiated sensible Rules of Origin in our multiple trade agreements with Europe (CETA), North America (CUSMA) and the Pacific region (CPTPP),” he wrote.
Goodale is confident that Canada will get access to the U.K. beef market because it is joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
“They can’t say they’re a member of the CPTPP and they’re going to ban Canadian beef. The rules of the CPTPP say that they cannot ban Canadian beef.”
The U.K. says it won’t import Canadian beef because it may contain hormones and/or been cleaned with products unapproved in the U.K. The hormones and cleaning products are “absolutely scientifically sound,” and are being used as non-tariff trade barriers, Goodale says.
“It may take a while to get the Brits in front of a tribunal that will adjudicate on this but they’ve already lost this issue twice in proceedings before the European regulators. So they’ll lose it again if they insist on resorting to a court proceeding with us. We’re not going to give in on this.”
