More than 20 years ago, I watched a Canadian industry fight for access to its most important market.

In 2001, U.S. growers launched an anti-dumping case against Canadian greenhouse tomatoes.

When I joined the Board of Directors for Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, the trade action was already underway.

The 2001-2002 Trade Dispute

The official trade action began in March 2001 and wasn't resolved until April 2002. Almost fourteen months of uncertainty and stress.

Canada ultimately prevailed. The United States International Trade Commission ruled that the Canadian industry was not selling into the US at less than their costs of production and that the US tomato producers had not been materially damaged.

And then something interesting happened.

You might have thought that the Canadian industry would quickly reduce their exposure to the market south of the border.

But that’s not what happened. The industry kept selling an enormous percentage of its product to the United States...