From the Minister of International Trade, the Honourable James S. Peterson, Ottawa:

Dear Mrs MacMillan:

The Prime Minister has forwarded to me your letter of November 3, 2005, regarding the investigation of cat and dog fur into Canada. I apologize for the delay in replying to you.

It should be noted that there are clear linkages between the international dimensions of this issue, and the possibility of domestic dog and cat fur ban. Agriculture and Agri-food Canada would be the lead department in connection with any initiatives related to domestic constraints on cat and dog fur production. However, Canada already has legislation at both the federal and provincial levels to address the mistreatment of animals in Canada, and there is no evidence of commercial activity within Canada regarding the sale of cat and dog fur.

With respect to the associated international trade considerations, Canada has a large fur industry that is an important component of the agricultural sector of our economy, as a result, it is important to preserve Canada's continued access to foreign fur markets. This access is provided by the World Trade Organization's general prohibition of quantative restrictions on the importation and exportation of goods.

With this in mind, I do believe that the possibility of the importation of dog and cat fur is an issue that should be further investigated. That is why I have asked department officials to closely examine Canada's options and legal implications with respect to stopping any potential imports of cat and dog fur.

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with me.

Sincerely,

James S. Peterson