It will soon be difficult to find English cheese in Canadian supermarkets as the two countries continue to negotiate fair trading terms following the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.
Dec. 31 marks the end of a tentative agreement that will see Ottawa offer London a special allotment of English cheeses that can be imported into Canada at low tariffs.
This agreement, which came into force on April 1, 2021, retained some of the conditions that governed trade between the two countries before Brexit.
Canada made the offer in the hope of signing a permanent agreement with the United Kingdom before the end of the year, but negotiations to replace the interim agreement have not yet been completed.
In particular, the United Kingdom rejects Ottawa's requests to allow Canada to export hormone-raised meat. London is also calling for greater access to the Canadian dairy market, protected in part through supply management.
Peter Holmes, a researcher at the UK Trade Policy Observatory, says Canada has the upper hand at the negotiating table as the British government wants new trade deals to convince English voters that the Conservatives have ultimately handled Brexit well.
Mr Holmes says disagreements over cheese and beef are likely to lead Ottawa to delay its approval of Britain's membership of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, despite both countries insisting they have good relations. good relationships.