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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span> </span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">April 8, 2004<span>                         </span><i>(6:30 p.m. EDT)</i><span>                                    </span>No. 55</span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">CANADA ASKS FOR WTO CONSULTATIONS WITH U.S. ON<br>
HARD RED SPRING WHEAT</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">The Government of Canada today announced that it has requested World Trade
Organization (WTO) consultations with the United States on the U.S. International
Trade Commission (ITC) finding that imports of hard red spring wheat are injuring U.S.
producers. This is part of ongoing efforts to press the U.S. to lift countervailing and
anti-dumping duties on Canadian hard red spring wheat exports.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">“Canadian exports of hard red spring wheat to the United States are carried out fairly
and transparently, and they fully meet Canada’s international trade obligations,” said
International Trade Minister Jim Peterson. “To say they’re causing injury is wrong, and
we will continue to push hard for the removal of these unfair duties.”</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">“Canada neither dumps hard red spring wheat into the American market nor subsidizes
hard red spring wheat shipments to the U.S.,” said Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister
Bob Speller. “The Government of Canada will pursue all legal avenues to defend the
interests of Canadian wheat producers.”</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">“The Government of Canada is working closely with the Canadian Wheat Board and
other interested parties to defend Canada’s interests in this trade case,” said
Reg Alcock, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian
Wheat Board.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">On October 3, 2003, after affirmative U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
countervailing and anti-dumping findings that led to duties of 14.15 percent on hard red
spring wheat from Canada, the U.S. ITC concluded that these imports were injuring
U.S. producers. These duties have severely limited Canadian exports of hard red spring
wheat to the U.S.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">There are currently two other active Canadian challenges on hard red spring wheat
under the North American Free Trade Agreement:</span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.5in; margin-left: 0.5in"> </p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.5in; margin-left: 0.5in"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">• <span>        </span>a Government of Canada request, dated October 3, 2003, on a U.S. DOC ruling
that imports of certain types of Canadian wheat are subsidized; and</span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.5in; margin-left: 0.5in"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">• <span>        </span>a Canadian Wheat Board request, dated November 24, 2003, regarding the
decision by the U.S. ITC that imports of hard red spring wheat are causing injury
to the U.S. industry.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Both panel review decisions are expected sometime in the fall.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Total exports of wheat to the U.S. average about $400 million annually, with hard red
spring wheat accounting for approximately $250 million of that amount. About 10 to
15 percent of Canadian wheat exports go to the U.S.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">- 30 -</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Jacqueline LaRocque<br>
Director of Communications<br>
Office of the Minister of International Trade<br>
(613) 992-7332</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs Canada and International Trade Canada<br>
(613) 995-1874</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Carla Ventin<br>
Press Secretary<br>
Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada<br>
(613) 759-1346</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Media Relations<br>
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada<br>
(613) 759-7972</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Lise Jolicoeur<br>
Press Secretary<br>
Office of the President of the Treasury Board and<br>
Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board<br>
(613) 957-2666</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Mario Baril<br>
Media Relations<br>
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat<br>
(613) 957-2391</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">This document is also available on the Internet site of Foreign Affairs Canada and
International Trade Canada: </span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20061209062651/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="color: #000000">.</span></span></p>
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