N.D. wheat farmers: WTO report “puts another chink” in CWB’s armor

N.D. wheat farmers: WTO report “puts another chink” in CWB’s armor

N.D. wheat farmers: WTO report “puts another chink” in CWB’s armor

   North Dakota Wheat Commission administrator Neal Fisher said in a statement that a World Trade Organization dispute panel report “puts another chink in the armor of the Canadian Wheat Board.”
   The WTO report finds that Canada unfairly discriminates against U.S. wheat imports. The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) is a state-run agency that manages the country’s wheat exports.
   “Each step we have taken in recent years to seek trade remedies against the Canadian Wheat Board gets us closer to the ultimate goal of fundamental and meaningful reform of the board,” Fisher said. “Only when this occurs will this trade problem fully be resolved.”
   The WTO report chastised Canada for inconsistency with its WTO obligations by treating its grain more favorably than imported U.S. grain. Canada also requires U.S. wheat shipments to be segregated within its handling systems, raising the cost to transport U.S. wheat by rail.
   The North Dakota Wheat Commission, however, is disappointed that the WTO report found no violation by Canada under Article XVII, which relates to the operation of state trading enterprises. “State trading enterprises like the Canadian Wheat Board were given considerable leeway in the existing WTO Agreement,” Fisher said.
   The North Dakota Wheat Commission believes the elimination of state trading enterprises, such as the CWB, must be pursued by the U.S. Trade Representative at future WTO negotiations.