Farm-Scape is sponsored by Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork Play Audio Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.

Farm-Scape, Episode 1463

The Canadian Pork Council is preparing to defend Canada's hog producers against a US effort to have anti-dumping and countervailing duties imposed on live hog imports from Canada.

Last week the National Pork Producers Council, along with state producer organizations and individual US pork producers, filed anti-dumping and countervailing duty petitions to address what it describes as 'injury caused by the recent surge in unfairly traded imports of hogs from Canada.'

US producers allege Canadian hogs are being dumped into the US at prices lower than those paid in Canada causing US prices to plummet harming American producers.

Canadian Pork Council President Edouard Asnong says the US documentation is now being reviewed and, although the potential impact is still unclear, CPC will be taking the action necessary to defend Canadian producers.

"We are exporting something around two million slaughter hogs and something around five million piglets. What would be the impact?

Certainly, if it's true they are looking for a countervail or antidumping, the impact can be huge because we are working on small margins in the hog sector.

It's not sure we're going to lose that case. We're going to fight to defend our producers.

I think there is no justification for that because we have always traded our hogs fairly. We're going to present our side of the case during the investigation and we will take all the steps to represent the best interests of Canadian hog producers".

The US Department of Commerce is expected to initiate action March 25th and the US International Trade Commission is expected to make its preliminary determination on injury by April 19th.

Preliminary duties could take effect as soon as June 1st for the countervailing duty case and August 12th for the antidumping case.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.