The Canadian Cattle Association has launched a petition urging Ottawa to restrict beef imports as trade negotiations with Mercosur — Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay — move forward. These countries are among the world’s lowest-cost beef producers, and a deal could increase the volume of cheaper beef entering Canada.
The concern from producers is understandable. Canadian ranchers are operating in a high-cost environment, facing rising input costs, regulatory pressures, and a tight cattle supply. But the reaction also reveals a deeper issue: Canada’s beef affordability problem is not primarily about imports — it is about structural constraints at home.
