North American millers to fight higher tariffs for Canadian wheat

North American millers to fight higher tariffs for Canadian wheat    North America’s millers plan to make their opposition to proposed tariff increases for Canadian wheat imports into the United States heard a Sept. 4 International Trade Commission hearing.
   Members of the North American Millers’ Association (NAMA) became concerned earlier this year when the U.S. Commerce Department finalized duties for Canadian hard red spring wheat at 14.6 percent and Canadian durum wheat at 13.55 percent.
   The ITC must determine whether U.S. wheat growers have been injured by Canadian imports.
   “NAMA will present a vigorous defense” (at the ITC hearing), said John Gillcrist, chairman of the Washington-based organization. “Milling is a business with razor-thin margins, and being able to source good milling quality wheat is at the heart of that business.
   “If tariffs effectively deny us access to that wheat, our competitiveness will unquestionably be hurt,” he said.
   Gillcrist said “U.S. millers must have access to Canadian wheat to supplement the U.S. crop in order to meet the demands of bakers, pasta manufacturers and consumers of their products.”