Cattlemen Welcome Import Levy

CANADA - The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) has welcomed the introduction of an import levy on cattle of C$1 per head.
calendar icon 5 August 2013
clock icon 2 minute read

The move enables the levy to be applied equally to purchasers of domestic and imported cattle as well as imported beef, putting Canada on equal ground with the US for the first time since 1985.

The import levy is worth an estimated C$600,000 to C$800,000 annually, depending on market conditions, and funds will support Canada Beef Inc. marketing initiatives and research projects under the direction of the Beef Cattle Research Council.

“This is great news for the beef industry,” said CCA President Martin Unrau.

“Marketing and research support and drive competitiveness in Canada’s beef cattle industry.”

The CCA has worked toward this outcome on behalf of industry since 1999, when it began the groundwork to implement a national check-off and an import levy to level the playing field with the U.S., which placed an import levy on Canadian cattle in1985.

One of the challenges the CCA faced during this process was determining how to collect the import levy. In 1999, the CCA facilitated the creation of the Canadian Beef Cattle Research, Market Development and Promotion Agency, often referred to as the National Check-off (NCO) Agency, to handle this task. Over the years, the NCO worked with the Farm Products Council of Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency to determine the best possible option for collecting the import levy.

Significant advancement was made in securing the cooperation of Canada Border Services Agency to enable the collection of the import levy prior to the formation of Canada Beef Inc. and their assuming responsibility of the NCO.

Now acting as the Canadian Beef Cattle Research, Market Development and Promotion Agency, Canada Beef Inc. is entrusted to collect an import levy on all beef cattle, beef and beef products coming into Canada in addition to the domestic levy on cattle sales.

TheCattleSite News Desk

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