Canada's envoy in London hopeful Britain's Labour party will restart trade talks
CTV
The Labour Party’s landslide win in the United Kingdom election Thursday is renewing hope that trade talks between Ottawa and London could re-start according to Canada’s High Commissioner in the U.K.
The Labour Party’s landslide win in the United Kingdom election Thursday is renewing hope that trade talks between Ottawa and London could re-start according to Canada’s High Commissioner in the U.K.
In the hours following Keir Starmer win, Canada’s envoy in London told CTV News he believes a change in government could be a good thing since talks between the two countries were paused in January by the U.K.
"I'm sure the dialog will be will be very open and fulsome,” said High Commissioner Ralph Goodale.
Among the sticking points that stalled talks, the U.K. wants to export more cheese to Canada, however an exemption on diary quotas expired at the end of 2023.
A continuity agreement was put in place after Brexit when the U.K. withdrew from the European Union, until another deal could be negotiated since the country is no longer covered under the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
Goodale says under CETA, the U.K. benefitted from a “generous access quota” for European cheese to flow into Canada. The high commissioner says the Brits were one of the highest users of that quota before leaving the EU, however he contends the U.K. has asked to double to volume that was afforded under CETA.
The high commissioner told CTV News that’s a non-starter.
