Saskatchewan Wins Final Oilseed Appeal with Quebec

Released on February 25, 2015

Mark it down as “case closed” in Saskatchewan’s favour, as the province has now won all aspects of its oilseed internal trade challenge with Quebec.

Today an appeal panel, established under the pan-Canadian Agreement on Internal Trade, released a final ruling upholding the Saskatchewan government’s successful challenge last spring of the Quebec government’s restrictions against the production, sale and marketing of vegetable oil-based dairy products in its market.

The Quebec government had appealed the original ruling, but in December had made changes to its Food Products Act removing barriers to the production and sale of vegetable-based oil products, thus allowing Saskatchewan producers and processors to now freely sell their products in Quebec.  The appeal panel’s final ruling not only confirms that those changes by Quebec were necessary, but also upholds Saskatchewan’s challenge of Quebec labelling laws that prohibit the use of terms like “milk”, “butter” and “cheese” for dairy substitute products.

“We’re very pleased to see the conclusion of our efforts to win market access for Saskatchewan companies in Quebec,” Minister responsible for Trade Jeremy Harrison said.  “This is a victory for the internal trade process in Canada, and with this latest ruling, we’re confident Quebec will do the right thing and bring its labelling and marketing rules for dairy substitutes in line with the rest of Canada.”

“Our producers and processors create quality goods that are in demand both in Canada and around the world,” Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart said.  “As Canada’s top agriculture exporting province, this was a critical step in ensuring that Saskatchewan products move freely to consumers within our country’s borders as well.”

“We’re delighted with this ruling that creates a nationwide market for a wide range of innovative canola and soybean oil-based alternatives to traditional dairy products,” Vegetable Oil Industry of Canada President Sean McPhee said.  “We appreciate the leadership of the Government of Saskatchewan, supported by the other western provinces, in using the Agreement on Internal Trade to eliminate barriers to the introduction of these products first in Ontario and now in Quebec.”

News on the appeal panel’s ruling can be found at www.ait-aci.ca/index_en/news.htm and at www.ait-aci.ca/index_en/dispute.htm.

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For more information, contact:

Bob Ellis
Intergovernmental Affairs
Regina
Phone: 306-787-2709
Email: robert.ellis@gov.sk.ca

Angela Hall
Agriculture
Regina
Phone: 306-787-2359
Email: angela.hall@gov.sk.ca