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| Сыр пока очень дорог в Канаде... но уже не надолго! |
Я тоже сыр очень люблю и страдаю от его дороговизны. Эта проблема характерна для всей Канады, поскольку высокая стоимость сыра гонит вверх стоимость одного из самых любимых канадских продуктов – пиццы. Некоторые ушлые местные бизнесмены стали решать проблему по-своему. Недавно в прессе было напечатано несколько статей о том, что канадская полиция обнаружила целое нелегальное бизнес-сообщество, которое занималось поставками дешевого контрабандного сыра из США в рестораны Ниагарского Водопада, одного из самых популярных туристических городов Канады на границе с США.
Долгое время я не мог понять, в чем причина высокой стоимости сыра в Канаде. Статьи, посвященные «сырному делу» открыли, что канадцы страдают от высоких правительственных тарифов на молочную продукцию из Европейского Союза и США. Кто-то конечно на этом стал очень хорошо зарабатывать, поднимая заодно цену на сыр, который производится в Канаде. В результате в стране возникло мощное лобби, защищающее высокую стоимость любого сыра. Это тем более парадоксально, что Канада - страна во многом аграрная, с развитым скотоводством. Молочных продуктов здесь много, и они должны быть дешевы. Однако некоторые из них весьма дороги, особенно сыр, и налицо несомненный заговор производителей (кстати, с центром во франкоязычной провинции Квебек).
На днях премьер-министр Канады Стивен Харпер нанес этому лобби сокрушительный удар. Он подписал серию соглашений с ЕС, согласно которым 98% тарифов на молочную продукцию из Европы будет отменено. В Канаде скоро появится совершенно легальный, дешевый, вкусный европейский сыр!
О своей ярости по причине "болезненного удара по канадской сырной промышленности", уже заявили многие канадские производители сыра. Так они называют эти соглашения, а также они предрекают уменьшение рабочих мест в отрасли и обращают внимание на "непатриотичность" этих соглашений. Мол, как это так, премьер-министр Канады Стивен Харпер не защищает отечественного производителя!
Все это конечно бред, вызванный расстройством лоббистов по поводу потери будущих доходов. Рабочие места и патриотизм их волнуют меньше всего. Если канадский сыр такой хороший, то его будут покупать невзирая ни на какие соглашения. Покупатель предпочтет европейский сыр, если цена на канадский сыр не будет соответствовать его качеству, и он не сможет конкурировать с отличным европейским сыром. Этого и боятся ленивые и жадные сырные лоббисты. Невидимая рука рынка все расставит по своим местам, и выиграют в конце концов рядовые канадцы.
Соглашение, подписанное 16 октября 2013 года, также охватывает мясо, металл, минералы, морскую еду, пшеницу, рожь, овес, рапсовое масло, фрукты и овощи, автомобили европейских производителей, ткани, одежду, духи и т.д. Оно значительно удешевит жизнь рядовых канадцев на многие годы вперед, поскольку касается весьма насущных и популярных товаров. Остается надеяться, что когда-нибудь правительство Канады придумает что-нибудь для удешевления и астрономически высокой стоимости местного жилья!
Мы покупаем только европейский и английский сыр для еды (не для готовки я имею ввиду) и я бы не сказала что он очень дорогой. Голландские сыры стоят даже порой дешевле чем в Амстердаме. А канадский сыр, тот что в обычном супермаркете, я есть не могу. Может быть в гурме магазинах есть хорошие канадские сыры, но у нас их нет :-(, магазинов я имею ввиду.
ReplyDeleteТоже слушала дебаты о том что Харпер предает канадских фермеров. Как только появится канадский сыр, сравнимый по качеству с европейским, я буду покупать его. Надеюсь отмена лимитов на европейскую продукцию подтолкнет канадских сыроделов улучшить качество.
Кстати в тему, может быть подскажите адреса хороших магазинов с сырами в Виктории?
Сыр обычно покупаю в Costco - там он хороший и цены приемлемые (500 грамм норвежского Ярлсберга за 9 долларов). Хороший канадский двухгодичный сыр имеется в Canadian Wholesale (500 грамм за 10 долларов)
DeletePrime Minister Stephen Harper took on critics from the Canadian auto sector, defending a trade agreement with South Korea — the first trade deal Canada has reached in Asia.
ReplyDeleteThe free trade agreement will, along with dropping other barriers, phase out Canadian tariffs on imports of South Korean cars over three years.
Under the agreement, Canada's 6.1 per cent tariff on imports of South Korean passenger cars would be phased out in three annual cuts — with the first cut coming as soon as the agreement comes into force.
Going the other way, South Korea's eight per cent tariff on imports of cars coming from Canada would be eliminated as soon as the agreement was implemented, as well as South Korea's three to eight per cent tariff on imports of automotive parts.
The agreement is being touted as one that would give Canadians "unprecedented access" to Korea's $1.1-trillion economy and at the same time create "thousands of new jobs" in Canada.
The government hopes to see the agreement implemented "as soon as possible."
Canada-EU trade pact final wording delayed
ReplyDeleteCanada and the European Union failed to ink the final text of their long-sought free trade agreement this week after a series of familiar irritants reared their heads once more.
One of the obstacles to resurface was a disagreement over protection of intellectual property rights in the pharmaceutical sector, an EU briefing note says.
The setback could be politically damaging to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has staked his government's reputation as ardent free traders on the potentially lucrative and wide-ranging agreement in goods and services with Europe.
■INTERACTIVE: Canada-EU trade deal
■CETA: Canada-EU trade deal by the numbers
The two sides reached an agreement in principle in October on the Comprehensive Trade and Investment Agreement, or CETA, after Harper jetted to Brussels for a high-profile signing ceremony with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
'Technical problems'
More recently, there was much anticipation that a planned meeting in Paris this past Wednesday between Trade Minister Ed Fast and EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht would produce the final text.
However, de Gucht said "technical problems" in three or four areas prevented he and Fast from sealing the deal, as many had anticipated. He predicted a resolution in the "coming weeks."
Fast's spokeswoman played down the differences between the two sides, but offered no timeline.
"Canada and the EU are continuing to work diligently to conclude CETA negotiations on the small number of outstanding technical matters," Shannon Gutoskie told The Canadian Press in an email.
A senior Canadian official, who was not authorized to speak for attribution, said even if an agreed text emerges, the deal remains a long way off because both sides still need to consult with their member countries and provinces, and then consult lawyers.
Why the delay?
"We have the same processes as the EU; they have to go back to their member states, we have to go back to our provinces," said the official.
"The whole expectation — that this week was the week — was never that."
NDP trade critic Don Davies said it is time for the Harper government to "come clean" with a full report to Parliament on what the obstacles are so Canadians can "hear that from Minister Fast and not be hearing it from the Europeans."
"Prime Minister Harper's visit to Brussels last October was a charade. It was meant to change the channel politically and mislead Canadians," said Davies.
"There was not a deal then; there is not a deal now."
De Gucht seemed to say as much as he addressed reporters in Brussels on Thursday.
"To be quite frank, final technical discussions have proven to be more difficult than originally foreseen," he said.
"This is simply the nature of trade negotiations, any negotiations in fact. It really isn't over until it's over, but rest assured, we'll get there in the coming weeks."
De Gucht refused to say specifically what the obstacles are.
"There are not that many anymore, there are three or four that we still have to resolve, but a lot — a couple of them are a little bit thorny."
Negotiators working on Canada's free trade deal with the European Union have finalized the long-awaited text of the agreement.
ReplyDeleteAs CBC News' Chris Hall first reported last week, the two sides are expected to sign and release the text of the agreement in late September.
The final wording comes after months of negotiation and disagreements over a wide-ranging series of issues that included investor protection from lawsuits as well as dairy agricultural quotas.
A statement from Trade Minister Ed Fast says finalizing the text is another important step forward.
The provinces are now being consulted in the details and the deal will also go to the EU's 28 countries for feedback.
The federal government has made the deal with Europe a centrepiece of its economic agenda; Prime Minister Stephen Harper all but declared victory in Brussels last October when the two sides struck a deal in principle.
The agreement, which would give Canada favoured access to Europe's $17-trillion economy, has been the subject of much speculation, but federal officials say 98 per cent of the tariffs between the partners would drop to zero when the deal comes into force.
Bloc Québécois election promises from the campaign trail so far
ReplyDeleteAug. 27, 2015: Compensate cheese producers with $300 million to help offset financial losses stemming from a free-trade agreement with the European Union.
OTTAWA — The federal government says the legal review of Canada’s free trade deal with the European Union has been completed — and the door is open for the pact to come into force next [2017] year.
ReplyDeleteAn agreement in principle was reached on the comprehensive deal, known as CETA, in October 2013. Negotiations between Canada and the 28-member EU began in 2009.
The agreement was negotiated under the former Conservative government, but International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday that the Liberals supported CETA while in opposition.
Some won't commit
ReplyDeleteThe next step for the EU is the approval of the European Council. The heads of all 28 member states are set to meet Oct. 20-21. If CETA's approved, Trudeau would head to Brussels for a signing ceremony the following week.
But the leaked notes suggest at least three countries aren't ready to sign.
Belgium, facing stiff opposition to CETA in its Walloon region, could not take a position.
Romania and Bulgaria said unresolved visa issues left them unable to support signing.
Greece said it still isn't satisfied with new limits on what cheese can be called "Feta." Later in the notes, Poland said it didn't like how judges would be appointed to the new investor court.
Firm opposition at the council — which takes decisions by consensus — could derail the signing.
But officials suggest countries who don't feel they can endorse may abstain, rather than block it.
"The EU has never had a situation where a member state has rejected a trade agreement once it's finalized," a senior official said earlier this summer.
European cheese slow to arrive in Canada despite trade deal (https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cheese-trqs-ceta-nafta-1.4817377)
ReplyDeleteAs Canada marks the first anniversary of its trade deal with the EU this month, consumers may be wondering why they aren't seeing more European cheese in their local stores.
New varieties have been slow to trickle in — a reminder of how complicated it can be to pry open Canada's protected market.
Canada also agreed to import more foreign dairy products in the Pacific Rim trade deal now being ratified. And even more access to Canada's domestic market appears to be part of the current renegotiation of NAFTA.