Ontario sugar beet growers say a new trade pact will not hurt their market in the United States and could even help them.
The Chair of the Ontario Sugar Beet Growers Association, Mark Lumley, says the American ban on imported sugar from cane will continue under the TPP and the beet growers hope to get Canada to do the same.
"The idea would be to start to re-formulate a sugar policy here in Canada that would protect our industry against some non-TPP countries imports," he says. "It would be nice if there were some barriers that were in place and the dumping is stopped."
Lumley says the sugar sold in Canadian stores is dumped at less than the cost of production so he sees nothing wrong with protective barriers.
The sugar beets that are grown locally are now processed in Michigan and the sugar sold in the higher priced U.S. market.
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Ontario Sugar Beet Growers Association Chair Mark Lumley says his group is hoping to get the Canadian government to adopt a similar ban.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/MARKLUMLEY-1.mp3"][/audio]
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Lumley says since some of the countries Canada imports sugar from are not part of the TPP, trying to raise trade barriers against them would not violate the deal.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/MARKLUMLEY-2.mp3"][/audio]
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Lumley argues the sugar now being sold in Canadian stores is being dumped at less than the cost of production.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/MARKLUMLEY-1.mp3"][/audio]
