China trade deal offers relief to N.B. lobster, crab fishermen
CBC
Some New Brunswick fishermen are breathing a sigh of relief in the wake of a trade deal announced Friday between Canada and China.
Prime Minister Mark Carney's trade mission to the world's second-largest economy resulted in a deal that will see a limited number of Chinese electric vehicles allowed into the Canadian market under a 6.1 per cent tariff.
In exchange, China agreed to eliminate tariffs on several Canadian exports, which include, most notably for New Brunswick, lobster and crab.
"We were very happy to be included in the list along with crab, because we have lost a significant amount of our market share in China for frozen and live lobster — prominently live lobster," said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada.
"So we're hoping that the tariff relief will allow us to rebuild the market again."
China imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian seafood last March in retaliation to Canada imposing a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles.
Canada will now allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs at the reduced 6.1 per cent tariff, in exchange for China dropping tariffs on canola meal, peas, lobster and crab.
The elimination of tariffs for those products takes effect in March and will continue until the end of the year.
Anticipation had been building in recent weeks over Carney's trade deal and the potential benefits it could bring for Canada's lobster sector, said Luc LeBlanc, a fisheries advisor with the Maritime Fishermen's Union.
He said just the expectation the tariff would be eliminated resulted in fishermen fetching better prices for their lobster.
"In the winter fishery that's now going on in the Bay of Fundy as we speak, prices were around $8.50 a pound for lobster before Christmas," LeBlanc said.
"And just off the speculation that there was going to be a meeting and a deal with China, the price increased to $12.50 a pound."
LeBlanc said a wharf rate of $8.50 per pound wasn't sustainable for fishermen, with costs leaving them barely able to break even.
He said $12.50 is considered on the lower end of a "good price range," meaning more money not only for fishermen but also the local businesses in the communities.
The federal government reached what Prime Minister Mark Carney is calling a "landmark" agreement with China on Friday.
The lawyer for a P.E.I. teacher accused of sexual assault has asked the judge to acquit her client based on a lack of evidence presented by the Crown.
One of two indoor arenas in Whitehorse is out of commission indefinitely because of a buildup of heavy snow on the building's roof.
In the wake of a backlash sparked by a viral video, WestJet has cancelled a new seat configuration that squeezed an extra row on board many of its planes and left passengers with less legroom.
Londoners without a place to sleep at night and the outreach workers who help them are urging the city to reconsider its emergency winter response plan after a night of frigid temperatures and ongoing snow squalls.
A recent string of crimes targeting businesses in Bridgeland has owners in the community on edge and seeking solutions.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford isn’t mincing words about Canada’s new electric vehicle deal with China, saying Friday that Chinese manufacturers are gaining a foothold in the country’s auto market at the expense of workers in this country.
An assistant professor at Memorial University's Grenfell Campus hopes the loss of its own vice-president won't mean the end of autonomy at the west coast campus.
Amanda Nahwegahbow, 38, is being remembered by her family as a vibrant and resilient woman who could light up any room.
As Nova Scotia bucks a national trend of declining rent prices, the province’s housing minister said he's hopeful that work to stimulate more construction will lead to improvements.
When the New Brunswick Health Council released its report this week on avoidable deaths in the province, one area stood out.
Almost once a month for almost a year, Kathleen Toman has left her home in Balsam Lake, Ont., for Mont-Tremblant, Que. This weekend, she’ll make the 500-kilometre trip again, meeting her ex-husband, Chris Toman, there.
A charity in Chase, B.C., has secured funding that it hopes will improve child-care services in the community by training new childhood educators.