OTTAWA, ON – The Canadian Produce Marketing Association has announced its satisfaction with progress made during Round 6 of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations this week. Negotiations concluded this week in Montreal, Canada, and CPMA expressed its admiration for Canadian negotiators who have worked to ensure that the renewed NAFTA will protect industry supply chains across the continent, support growth, and adhere to principles of free and fair trade.

“We have been working closely with Canadian negotiators and industry partners throughout round six and remain committed to achieving a win-win- win outcome for all three countries,” said CPMA President Ron Lemaire, in a press release. “As we prepare for round seven in Mexico, CPMA will continue to support the negotiating process to help achieve the best outcome for the fresh produce industry, especially on key issues such as the seasonal trade remedy proposal, dispute settlement, and the sunset clause.”

The association noted its optimism in regards to the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Chapter, as well as the biotechnology provisions in the Agriculture Chapter, and noted that it hopes that these will build off of the recent success of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Given how developed all three of the nations involved are, the association noted, NAFTA negotiations provide a unique opportunity to establish a new world-class standard in trade agreements for both of these areas.

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CPMA