In this day and age, local, home-grown food is making its mark in grocery stores across the country. People want food that was grown in their “backyards” and are willing to pay a little extra to have it. This point comes into conflict when Canada announced that it is ready to add tariffs and duties on famous American products like Californian wine in retaliation to the U.S requiring that meat have the country of origin displayed on its package.

I believe that a country has the right to be able to label their products as home grown as long as they are being truthful. It helps boost an economy as people are willing to spend their hard earned income to support their countrymen by buying the products produced domestically. Is it fair that Canada slap a “punitive” duty fee on popular American goods as a result of these actions? No, because how does this differ from the fact that in Canadian supermarkets, you find shelves and shelves of “Alberta beef” or that large fast food chains include that fact in their Value Propositions. It’s all the same game.

The Canadian government claims that this act is “blatant [protectionism]” and it is “discriminating against Canadian livestock” but does a country not have the right to sell its own product as a first choice to consumers. After all, it all comes down to the consumers’ choice and if they want to contribute to their own country’s economic well-being, they have the right to do so.

References:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/canada-wins-a-round-in-ongoing-trade-battle-with-us-over-meat-labelling-laws/article21165132/

http://www.elitebeef.com/cattlehandbook.html