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The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), representing 9,000 unionized workers at Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd (CPKC), officially walked off the job at midnight Eastern time on Thursday, August 22, reportedly marking the first time that simultaneous stoppages have occurred for Canada’s two major rail lines.

On August 8, 2024, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) opened a 60-day consultation as part of their ongoing drafting of a new national potato wart response plan.

On August 9, 2024, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) announced its ruling that work stoppage due to strike or lockout, from Canada’s two major railway companies, Canadian National (CN) Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (CPKC), would not present a threat to public health and safety.

The Province of British Columbia announced additional temporary supports for B.C. wineries on July 25, 2024. B.C. wineries will now be able to produce B.C. wines with imported wine grapes and grape juice for vintage year 2024.

On July 22, 2024, Canada’s Competition Bureau launched consultations to inform the development of industry guidance for new greenwashing provisions under the Competition Act.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has opened a consultation as part of their modernization of Canadian food quality standards. The consultation on grades and standards for fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV) will run from July 22 to October 20, 2024.

This report highlights certification requirements for food and agricultural products exported to Canada and supplements the FAIRS Country Report CA2021-0038.

The 2016 changes to nutrition labelling requirements come into force in December 2021, with enforcement discretion extended to December 2023. Other regulatory initiatives (like Front of Package Labeling) continue to be on hold.

Canada is the largest overseas market for U.S. high-value, consumer-oriented products, with exports reaching nearly $17 billion in 2020 – representing 25 percent of the total value of U.S. consumer-oriented exports worldwide, more than doubling the value of the next largest market.

Canada is the top export market for U.S. wines by value, and Ontario’s provincial liquor board is among the largest purchasers of beverage alcohol on the planet.

Quebec is the largest wine-importing province in Canada, at 180 million liters of wine valued at $770 million in 2020.

On May 19, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency launched a consultation on the Seeds Regulations and the environmental release of seeds.