25/08/2017 (Agence Europe) – In early August, the Canadian authorities announced that 18,000 tonnes of European cheese over six years will be imported in equal quantities by Canadian cheese producers and Canadian cheese sellers. Canada says the granting of import licences will be open to new companies, such as SMEs, which request licences in order to boost opportunities for Canadian consumers to taste new varieties of European cheese in Canada. The European dairy sector fears that Canadian cheese manufacturers will not make use of all their import quota so as to restrict competition with cheese made in Canada. This question has been the subject of dedicated talks between the EU and Canada (see EUROPE 11820), and had held up the provisional application of the EU-Canada free trade deal, now scheduled for Thursday 21 September. (MB)