38 GERMINATION.CA JULY 2019 SUPPORTED BY: ENDORSED BY: How important is the process for com- mercializing new varieties in Canada to reducing trade headaches? Very. The process requires that most new varieties of agricultural field crops are assessed prior to commer- cialization. A primary overarching requirement relates to plants with novel traits (PNTs): any plant that may be a PNT, no matter its intended purpose, is subject to review by the Plant Biosafety Office of the CFIA. A second, more restricted, requirement relates to variety registration. Crop kinds and types set out in Schedule III to the Seeds Regulations must be registered prior to import into or sale in Canada. There are 54 different crop kinds/types subject to variety registration. Oilseed soybeans are subject to variety registration, but non-oilseed soybeans are not. Hemp is not subject to variety registration, but licenses to cultivate hemp specify that the license holder must only plant pedigreed status seed of a vari- ety on the List of Approved Cultivars. What are some nuances that people should be aware of? Hybrid field corn is not subject to variety registration but can only be sold if pedigreed. Chickpea is not subject to variety registration but is listed in Schedule II, therefore can only be sold by variety name as pedi- greed seed. Lentils, oats and rye are subject to registration if “grain” types but not if “green manure” or “forage” types. Certain fescues, ryegrasses, timothy and alfalfa are subject to variety registration if “forage” type but not if intended for “turf” or “land reclamation purposes”. Mike Scheffel Managing Director, Policy and Standards Canadian Seed Growers’ Association Ottawa, Ont. Mike is responsible for the Canadian Regulations and Procedures for Pedigreed Seed Crop Production (Circular 6). He represents the CSGA on seed regulation and other policy and standards matters both domestically and internationally. Prior to joining CSGA he worked with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. To view our full-length webinar on this very topic, visit germination.ca/trade There’s been a lot of talk about the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). What exactly is the difference? NAFTA was the first trade agreement on earth that married modern econo- mies with developing economies. The new deal is an improvement, a modernization if you will. It’s better than no deal at all, where you’re in a world of tariffs and retaliation. We want to avoid in North America what is happening right now with China, which is all-out tariff retaliation. So what’s the holdup approving it? Unlike Mexico and Canada where you can pretty much get what you want if you have a majority govern- ment, in the U.S. we have divided government where congress, which is a different party, gets an actual say. Because Donald Trump loves the USMCA deal and brags about it, it makes it harder for Democrats to support the deal. I think that because it’s so important for the economy, there is a path for Democrats to vote for this deal. If they do, it won’t be because of Trump, but almost in spite of him. What happens if Congress doesn't ratify the deal this year? If we don’t get it done this year, we will miss the window and it will get dragged into the 2020 presidential race. That would be very unfortunate from an economic point-of-view. Maryscott Greenwood CEO, Canadian- American Business Council Washington, D.C. Maryscott spent four years as chief of staff of the U.S. Embassy in Canada, having been offered the diplomatic posting by President Bill Clinton, and now helps companies develop and implement strategies to minimize and mitigate potential damage from disruptive and unexpected events.