Mr.Chair, Canada's dairy processors have been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis and the new CanadaU.S.Mexico Agreement, or CUSMA. Some of them have incurred losses ranging from 10% to 50%, depending on the processed product. Will the government commit to granting import permits under CUSMA to Canada's dairy processors, not retailers directly?
Mr.Chair, I can assure you that dairy producers will receive fair compensation. I should also point out that we preserved supply management when negotiating the new NAFTA. That is important to Canada and Quebec, and I'm very pleased that we were able to do that.
Mr.Chair, the minister seems to be missing the issue in hand. Canada's dairy processors invest hundreds of millions of dollars a year to bring high-quality products to consumers, while contributing $19billion to GDP. Now those very processors are being asked to try to export Canadian value-added products. Will the minister commit to giving Canada's dairy processors import permits, instead of encouraging American multinationals?
Mr.Chair, I'd like to thank the member for his question. I fully understand, as we all do, the important role processors play in our system and our country. I can assure the members of the House that we will continue to work with Canadian processors as the agreement comes into force.