A guide to understanding the dairy dispute between the U.S. and Canada

The Globe and Mail ^

[bryan999]

Why are U.S. dairy farmers mad at Canada?

Canada has long maintained a high tariff wall on most dairy products. The duty on milk is 270 per cent. That keeps most imports from the United States and elsewhere out of Canada, while helping to prop up higher domestic prices. One notable exception is ultrafiltered milk and other protein-rich dairy ingredients used to make dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. North American free-trade rules do not cover these ingredients, so they enter Canada duty-free. And in recent years, U.S. dairies have developed a booming business selling these low-cost products to dairies in Canada ($133-million last year). That all changed about a year ago, when Canadian dairy farmers and producers moved to close the breach in the tariff wall with a new "ingredients strategy." They persuaded regulators to create a new lower-priced class of industrial milk as an incentive to get dairies to produce protein substances in Canada, using Canadian milk. The result was predictable: U.S. imports fell in 2016, and are declining sharply so far this year.

[bryan999]

Hard to find a blatant left wing spin on this topic, but here's what I think is a good primer for those who demand more information.

[Dr. Sivana]

There are lots of reasons for a nation to provide stability for farmers and to remain food independence. Once you admit that some tariffs are okay, then it really is each country's business as to how the tariff gets implemented, and what levels they should be at. Trump called the bluff by daring the G7 to get rid of ALL the tariffs, starting with their own. That was not gonna happen.

[be-baw]

I have mixed feelings. I want our dairy farmers to be successful, but I really like buying milk for $1.19/gallon.

[Paladin2]

This tariff thing can get very granular and in support of a very small number of specific business enterprises.

Plenty of opportunity for graft and corruption and government employee headcount and budget.

Probably best for the General Welfare to sweep away all of the gov’t micro management.

[Lurker]

“Probably best for the General Welfare to sweep away all of the gov’t micro management.”

Yep.

It’s high time for Fedzilla to be stuffed back into the Constitutional prison our Founders designed for it.

L

[canuck_conservative]

Thanks to dairy marketing boards boosting up prices, that’s about the price of a LITRE (a pint) of milk here in Canada.

In other words, milk costs 4x as much in Canada - because of the cartel-like “marketing boards”.

And it’s as much a rip-off for Canadians as for other countries.

[tired&retired]

Dairy farmers in the USA have been dropping like flies in the past year. Milk prices have been below production costs for over a year.

If you look at the Lancaster Farmer, cow prices are so low they are being butchered for meat. Herd dispersal auctions are frequent all over the country.

Milk prices had been as high as $22 to $25 per hundred weight two years ago. Recently they have been hovering in the $12 to $15 range.

[be-baw]

“LITRE (a pint)”

You sure about that? I’m pretty sure a liter is a little more than a quart.

[canuck_conservative]

Yah sorry I mean quart

[tired&retired]

THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN APRIL 2017

[babygene]

A liter is 1.05669 guart.

[I want the USA back]

Fairy-face trudeau is not going to do away with the tariff. He doesn’t want to face the wrath of his dairy farmers.

So if Trump sets up a corresponding tariff on Canadian goods, he will be looking after our interests. But he will be trashed by the left for it, as he is being trashed on everything he does.

[bryan999]

YES I KNOW, DON’T YELL AT ME

[Uncle Miltie]

Graft + corruption + tax increases + reduced motivation .... what’s not to like?

[logi_cal869]

$1.19????

Try $3.29 for hormone made milk and >$7.00 for grass-fed/clean milk here.

Butter used to be cheap and spiked as well. Never saw an adequate explanation from anyone for.these price jumps.

[familyop]

"It’s high time for Fedzilla to be stuffed back into the Constitutional prison our Founders designed for it."

President Trump is the greatest president ever, except for George Washington. ;-D

The United States Constitution, Article I, Section 8:
"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;...To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations,..."

The Tariff Act of 1789 was the first national source of revenue for the newly formed United States.

[tired&retired]

Sorry... didn’t realize caps lock was on....

[be-baw]

“$1.19????”

I know. Hard to believe, isn’t it? That’s at my local Kroger down the street. It has been that price for a couple months, before that it was $1.29 per gallon, before that a it was $1.39. I’m also surprised that they never advertise it in their weekly sales flyer.

If I’m lucky, I can get butter on sale for $2.50 per pound.

[petro45acp]

“LITRE (a pint)”

You sure about that? I’m pretty sure a liter “...is a little more than a quart.”

Believe a little Schoolhouse Rock is playing in the background...

Cheers

KYPD

[ridesthemiles]

I have mixed feelings. I want our dairy farmers to be successful, but I really like buying milk for $1.19/gallon.””’

I don’t know where you are buying milk for that price per gallon, but I am paying about $3.50 a gallon, and major dairies are less than 100 miles from me. I am buying milk from that dairy source at a local store. I truly have not seen the price you are quoting for over 30 years.