<html>
<head>
<meta name="Generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 8">
<title>CANADA REQUESTS NAFTA CONSULTATIONS ON U.S.RESTRICTIONS ON PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND POTATOES</title>
</head>
<body text="#000000" link="#0000ff" vlink="#551a8b" alink="#ff0000" bgcolor="#c0c0c0">
<p><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial Bold" size="+1"><strong>January 2, 2001 <em>(5:00 p.m. EST)</em> No. 1</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial Bold" size="+1"><strong>CANADA REQUESTS NAFTA CONSULTATIONS ON U.S.</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial Bold" size="+1"><strong>RESTRICTIONS ON PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND POTATOES</strong></font><font face="Arial"></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Canada has requested NAFTA consultations with the United States with respect to U.S. restrictions on imports of
potatoes from Prince Edward Island, International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew and Agriculture and Agri-Food
Minister Lyle Vanclief announced today.</font><font face="Arial"></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">"The Canadian government has been making high-level representations to the U.S. administration to remove the
restrictions," said Minister Pettigrew. "Canada believes that the restrictions have no scientific justification,
constitute an unjustified barrier to trade, and violate the United States international trade obligations." </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">"Canada has science on its side," said Minister Vanclief. "The continuing U.S. insistence on unreasonable
conditions for reopening the border to PEI potatoes is completely unacceptable. We have stressed this to U.S.
officials, and will continue consulting closely with industry and government in PEI on ways to ensure that this issue
is resolved as quickly as possible</font><font face="Arial">."</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">On October 31, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) closed the border to imports of potatoes from
PEI. This action followed confirmation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) of the presence of potato
wart disease in one field in Prince Edward Island. The CFIA responded quickly by putting controls in place to
prevent the spread of the disease and to protect the disease-free status of potatoes in the rest of the province and
in other provinces. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The CFIA has been involved in extensive discussions with the USDA in an effort to remove the ban. On December
13, the USDA wrote to the CFIA, providing assurances that the border would be open to imports from PEI.
Unfortunately, the United States did not implement the terms of this letter. Following further discussions, USDA
officials wrote again to the CFIA on December 29, establishing more restrictive conditions than those described in
the December 13 letter.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Canada's request for NAFTA consultations was submitted today. As the matter involves perishable products,
Canada has requested that the consultations be held within 15 days. Canada will continue bilateral efforts to
resolve the issue pending the consultations. </font><font face="Arial"></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">For further information, media representatives may contact:</font><font face="Arial"></font></p>
<table width="100%">
<tr valign="TOP"><td><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial">Sylvie Bussières</font><font face="Arial"> </font>
<p><font face="Arial">Office of the Minister for International Trade</font><font face="Arial"></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 992-7332</font><font face="Arial"></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial">Media Relations Office</font><font face="Arial"></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Department of Foreign Affairs </font><font face="Arial">and International Trade</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 995-1874</font></p>
</td>
<td><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial">Sylvie Millette LeDuc</font>
<p><font face="Arial">Press Secretary </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 759-1761</font><font face="Arial"> </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Rory McAlpine </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Executive Director, International Trade Policy</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"> Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 759-7961</font><font face="Arial Bold"></font></td></tr></table>
</p>
<p><font face="Arial">This document is also available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's Internet site:</font></p>
<p><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221023544/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/"><font face="Arial">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</font><font face="Arial Bold"></a></font></p>
</body>
</html>
