Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Minister of International Trade, shares the Canadian Horticultural Council’s (CHC’s) concern over France’s ban of products from countries where dimethoate is registered as a pesticide. Dimethoate is used for control of sucking and chewing insects and fruit flies, and is currently used in orchards after harvest for control of western cherry fruit flies.
The Minister’s statement is in response to a letter CHC sent in June, which identified the questionable and possibly illegal nature of France’s import ban. CHC requested that Minister Freeland and her department continue to monitor the situation in Europe, advocate for the science-based approach of Maximum Residue Limits, and investigate whether or not France is violating any trade agreements with its ban. Minister Freeland confirmed that she, and other officials within the Government of Canada, including Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, are currently acting in accordance with these recommendations. Minister Freeland thanked CHC for its letter, stating that the information CHC provided will help inform Canada’s comments to France and the European Commission.
View CHC’s letter to Minister Freeland (June 25, 2016)
View Minister Freeland’s response to CHC’s letter (October 25, 2016)