Canada and the United States have agreed that the Americans end their tariffs on solar panels manufactured in Canada.
International Trade Minister Mary Ng said the agreement reflects the two countries’ shared desire to fight climate change and develop the renewable energy industry.
Minister Ng attends a meeting of the Free Trade Commission in Vancouver. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Mexican Economy Secretary Tatiana Clouthier are also taking part in the meeting.
These American tariffs on solar products had been imposed by the previous administration, under the presidency of Donald Trump, in 2018. Since then, Canadian exports of solar products south of the border have fallen by 82%, according to Ottawa.
Last February, a dispute resolution panel determined that by keeping Canadian products under its so-called “protective measures”, the United States was in violation of its obligations under the Canada-United States- Mexico (CUSMA).
Mary Ng also announced that she would bring the issue of softwood lumber back to the table during her one-on-one with Ms. Tai.
“The way forward is to find a solution with the United States,” she said.
Both officials agree that this is an important issue, but the possible solutions to the problem are not very clear. Katherine Tai reiterated her support for the industry.
“Our priority is to ensure that American lumber producers can compete on the same terms,” she said. Subsidized lumber and “dumping” undermine their ability to compete fairly. »