Most of the imports came from the United States. The total
last year was 82.8 million kilograms, 54.7 million of it from the United
States.
Canada exported 162.3 million kilograms of chicken, most of
it to the U.S., but 7.4 million kilograms to Asian countries such as Taiwan and
the Philippines.
Imports from the U.S. declined near the end of the year,
compared with year-earlier levels, after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
cut off three exporters caught cheating by shipping broiler meat declared as
spent fowl.
There is a high tariff on broiler meat, but not on spent
fowl.
Canadian officials also caught Canadian companies cheating
on a program that allows them to import chicken, provided they export the products
they process from that chicken.
Five companies were found to be “not in compliance” with the
regulations, says the annual report from Chicken Farmers of Canada, the
national supply-management agency for chicken.
The government has so far not publicly identified the five
companies.
