Thirteenth Meeting of the Tri-National Agricultural Accord

JOINT COMMUNIQUE

April 1-3, 2003

Montreal, Quebec

Montreal, Quebec - Continuing a long-standing province/state relationship among Canada, the United States and Mexico, the Province of Quebec hosted the 13th annual meeting of the Tri-National Accord in Montreal from April 1-3, 2003. Secretaries, Commissioners, Directors, Ministers and senior government officials from 9 Canadian provinces, 15 U.S. states and 9 Mexican states worked together to improve understanding and strengthen collaboration among the agricultural sectors of the three NAFTA countries. Accord participants benefited from the views of a panel of prominent Quebec and Manitoba industry speakers who shared their export experiences with Accord participants and helped focus the plenary session of the Conference on the integration of the North American market. Delegates were provided the opportunity to tour SIAL Montreal, a premier North American food trade exhibition.

As host of the 2003 Accord, Mr. Maxime Arseneau, the Quebec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, observed that members of the Tri-National Agricultural Accord are each other’s most important trading partners, and that efforts of the Accord must continue to facilitate the development of harmonious trading relations.

Delegates from the three NAFTA countries were also welcomed and encouraged by Lyle Vanclief, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, who noted that the work of the Accord and federal officials on agricultural issues are complementary.

The Canadian Delegation was headed by the Hon. Rosann Wowchuk, Minister of Agriculture and Food for the Province of Manitoba. The Mexican Delegation was headed by Hon. Dr. Enrique Salinas Aguilera, Secretary of Agricultural Development for the State of Coahuila and President of the Mexican Association of Secretaries of Agricultural Development (AMSDA). The U.S. Delegation was headed by Hon. Patrick Takasugi, Secretary of Agriculture for the State of Idaho and President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).

During the meeting, delegates reviewed the 2002 accomplishments of their respective bilateral working groups and set new goals for cooperative efforts in the coming year.

The Mexican and Canadian delegations initiated work to establish a province-state advisory committee under the Canada-Mexico Agreement Framework. Canadian provincial and federal officials advised their Mexican counterparts of the Canadian federal-provincial framework and its possible application to the federal-state relationship in Mexico. Mexican and Canadian delegates reviewed joint efforts under their 2002 Workplan. Representatives from Jalisco and Saskatchewan presented a report on Mexican and Canadian concerns regarding trade distorting export and domestic subsidies. British Columbia, Baja California and Chihauhua presented information on the impact of phytosanitary requirements and the anti-dumping provisions under NAFTA. Canadian and Mexican delegates exchanged information on industry concerns raised to date with respect to the U.S. legislation on country of origin labelling and bioterrorism. It was agreed that the Canadian provinces and states of Mexico would continue to address these issues. Delegates agreed to continue efforts to facilitate trade in forage products. Mexico requested the formation of a working group to discuss initiatives related to rural development in Mexico.

The U.S. and Mexican delegations adopted a workplan for addressing migratory farm labor issues, including commitment to conduct parallel surveys of NASDA and AMSDA member states within the next three months, and investigation of a pilot farm labor program similar to the arrangement between Mexico and Canada. The delegations received a report on the establishment of the new U.S - Mexico Consultative Committee on Agriculture, and look forward to confirmation that both governments agree that the U.S/Mexico Working group can function as the advisory committee to the CCA. The delegations agreed to continue to work together on animal health issues that affect trade, organic food certification, and commenting on implementation of country of origin labelling for meat products. AMSDA will provide information to NASDA on the Mexican internal bean market and foreign trade, as well as the status of citrus imports from the United States. AMSDA proposed examination of the scope of the North American Development Bank to see if it can be expanded to address the economic needs of marginalized agricultural regions in the three countries. NASDA will provide AMSDA with information on the charter and current operations of that bank. It was agreed to look further into cross border marketing arrangements to take advantage of seasonal windows, along the lines of current cooperation in production of watermelon between California and Jalisco. AMSDA and NASDA will ask their respective federal governments to provide an analysis of farm program subsidies broken down by commodity and farm size at the next Accord meeting. The possibility of the Working Group amplifying its scope to address broader issues such as the competition for water between agriculture and other sectors and the impact of outmigration on rural areas was explored. It was proposed to devote one day during the next Accord meeting to an in-depth exchange on rural development issues of concern to the three countries.

United States and Canadian delegates began their meeting with reports from federal officials regarding the activities and accomplishments of the United States/Canada Consultative Committee on Agriculture (CCA). The report covered a range of issues including progress toward year round movement of feeder cattle, pesticide harmonization, modifications of the administration of the Ministerial Exemption procedure for bulk commodity shipments, and more timely mechanisms for resolving technical trade disputes, with effective management of the potato mop top virus issue as an outstanding example. Delegates agreed to communicate common positions to senior federal government officials concerning seed lab certification and pesticide harmonization including areas relating to pricing, availability and common labelling of pesticides. Delegates also agreed to work together to encourage the United States and Canada to move in a parallel manner on science-based approval of new biotechnology products without compromising the marketability of those products. Pending decisions concerning genetically modified wheat are of particular concern. The Canadian delegation presented information about the potential negative impacts of the U.S. country of origin labelling law for the North American food industry. The U.S. delegation identified the common sense approach that Florida has implemented for fresh fruits, vegetables and honey as the kind of model USDA should be considering for its regulations. However both parties recognized that cost, traceability and liability issues for meat and seafood products in a mandatory system go beyond those that arise for fresh fruits and vegetables.

The Canadian and U.S. delegations agreed on the importance of protecting the security of the food supply in North America and the need to coordinate the role of states and provinces. The Canadian delegation pointed out that pending regulations under the U.S. Bioterrorism Act have the potential to cause problems, particularly in the case of perishable products and timely, flexible shipments. Federal authorities should be encouraged to adopt the best practical procedures that recognize the unique nature of North American trade and “just-in-time” shipment, without compromising food safety and national security. A working group was established to monitor and assess issues that arise.

Regional cooperation that acknowledges common challenges to the apple industry in eastern regions of the United States and Canada were identified as an area for further concentrated effort. Delegates took note of the excellent ongoing regional collaboration on nursery and floriculture product trade among northwestern states and provinces, the continuing series of meetings on technical issues between the Maritime Provinces and their New England neighbors, and the planned state/provincial exchanges between Montana and Alberta, the states and provinces in the Northern Plains, and the states and provinces of the Great Lakes region.

At the close of the Montreal meeting, the Mexican delegation extended an invitation to their Canadian and U.S. colleagues to come to Mexico for the Fourteenth Meeting of the Tri-National Accord, in 2004.

Hon. Rosann Wowchuk, Coordinator
Canadian Delegation

Hon. Enrique Salinas Aguilera, President
AMSDA

Hon. Patrick Takasugi, President
NASDA