Farmscape for November 16, 2005  (Episode 1967)

A coalition of Canadian corn users is urging the federal government to reject any notion of imposing provisional duties on imported unprocessed American grain corn.

Yesterday the Canadian International Trade Tribunal announced its preliminary determination with respect to imported unprocessed US grain corn and the termination of its inquiry into processed product.

The ITT has found a reasonable indication that subsidized unprocessed product dumped into Canada has injured the domestic industry and has instructed the Canada Border Services Agency to continue anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations.

The Animal Industry Corn Users is voicing its disappointment.

Canadian Pork Council President Clare Schlegel says livestock producers recognize the plight of corn growers but there needs to be a common sense solution that doesn't jeopardize other sectors of agriculture.

Clip-Clare Schlegel-Canadian Pork Council 

I think there is a number of things that we would be requesting at this point.

We'd like to suggest that the preliminary determination be delayed to January 30th instead of happening on December 15th.

That only seems reasonable in light of the WTO meetings that are happening in Hong Kong.

Secondly we'd like to encourage the ministers, and this would be the minister of agriculture, the minister of trade and other ministers to direct the CITT to consider doing the public interest process in parallel with the examination of injury.

Thirdly we'd like to encourage the president of the Canadian Border Service Agency to not collect any provisional duties if in fact they, at some point, are considered as a possibility for being put in place.

We would be asking that, even if there is a ruling, that those provisional duties not be collected until the public interest process and the final injury process is complete.

Schlegel says livestock producers support the corn growers perspective that there needs to be income support programs for Canadian growers similar to what their American counterparts receive and suggests that's the solution, not a duty.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council