WTO Cheese TRQ – UK Transitional Access to the European Union Reserve
December 9, 2020
Dear Deputy High Commissioner Reed,
I have the honour to confirm the following agreement reached by the Governments of Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“the United Kingdom”), further to bilateral discussions on the Canada-United Kingdom relationship and as part of the Agreement on Trade Continuity between Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“the Trade Continuity Agreement”).
On March 29, 2017, the United Kingdom invoked Article 50 of the Treatyon European Union, as amended,and notified the European Union of its intention to withdraw from the European Union. As a Member State of the European Union and during the transition period established under the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, signed in Brussels and London on January 24, 2020, the United Kingdom has been eligible to access the allocation reserved for the European Union under Canada’s World Trade Organization (WTO) cheese Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ). In order to facilitate an orderly transition out of the European Union and the transition period, and to ensure stability for Canadian allocation holders under the WTO cheese TRQ, cheese originating in the United Kingdom shall continue to be eligible to be imported into Canada under the reserve for the European Union within Canada’s WTO cheese TRQ until no later than December 31, 2023. After this date, cheese originating in the United Kingdom shall in any case be eligible to be imported under the reserve for non European Union WTO Members within Canada’s WTO cheese TRQ, and Canada and the United Kingdom shall endeavour to reach an arrangement on cheese as part of the negotiations referred to in Article IV of the Trade Continuity Agreement no later than June 30, 2023.
Canada and the United Kingdom shall use mechanisms under the Trade Continuity Agreement to discuss any matter related to the agreement recorded in this letter and the letter of reply of the Government of the United Kingdom confirming the terms as set out above.
I have the further honour to propose that this letter, equally authentic in English and French, and the Government of the United Kingdom’s reply confirming the terms as set out above, constitute an agreement between our two Governments that applies from the date the Trade Continuity Agreement enters into force or is provisionally applied pursuant to Article VII.3 of that Agreement. This letter and the Government of the United Kingdom’s reply shall constitute an integral part of the Trade Continuity Agreement.
Sincerely,
John F.G. Hannaford
Deputy Minister for International Trade
December 9, 2020
Dear Deputy Minister Hannaford,
I am pleased to acknowledge your letter, dated 9 December 2020, which reads as follows:
I have the honour to confirm the following agreement reached by the Governments of Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“the United Kingdom”), further to bilateral discussions on the Canada-United Kingdom relationship and as part of the Agreement on Trade Continuity between Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“the Trade Continuity Agreement”).
On March 29, 2017, the United Kingdom invoked Article 50 of the Treatyon European Union, as amended,and notified the European Union of its intention to withdraw from the European Union. As a Member State of the European Union and during the transition period established under the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, signed in Brussels and London on January 24, 2020, the United Kingdom has been eligible to access the allocation reserved for the European Union under Canada’s World Trade Organization (WTO) cheese Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ). In order to facilitate an orderly transition out of the European Union and the transition period, and to ensure stability for Canadian allocation holders under the WTO cheese TRQ, cheese originating in the United Kingdom shall continue to be eligible to be imported into Canada under the reserve for the European Union within Canada’s WTO cheese TRQ until no later than December 31, 2023. After this date, cheese originating in the United Kingdom shall in any case be eligible to be imported under the reserve for non European Union WTO Members within Canada’s WTO cheese TRQ, and Canada and the United Kingdom shall endeavour to reach an arrangement on cheese as part of the negotiations referred to in Article IV of the Trade Continuity Agreement no later than June 30, 2023.
Canada and the United Kingdom shall use mechanisms under the Trade Continuity Agreement to discuss any matter related to the agreement recorded in this letter and the letter of reply of the Government of the United Kingdom confirming the terms as set out above.
I have the further honour to propose that this letter, equally authentic in English and French, and the Government of the United Kingdom’s reply confirming the terms as set out above, constitute an agreement between our two Governments that applies from the date the Trade Continuity Agreement enters into force or is provisionally applied pursuant to Article VII.3 of that Agreement. This letter and the Government of the United Kingdom’s reply shall constitute an integral part of the Trade Continuity Agreement.
I have the further honour of confirming that the United Kingdom agrees to this proposal. Accordingly, your letter, equally authentic in English and French, and this letter in reply, constitute an agreement between the Governments of Canada and the United Kingdom. This agreement shall enter into force on the date the Trade Continuity Agreement enters into force or is provisionally applied pursuant to Article VII.3 of that Agreement. The Government of Canada’s letter and this reply shall constitute an integral part of the Trade Continuity Agreement.
Sincerely,
David Reed
Deputy High Commissioner to Canada
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