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TORONTO/BRUSSELS — A trade deal meant to give European cheesemakers more access to the Canadian market is falling short of its promise in its first full year, government data show, frustrating the European industry, which blames a year-old Ottawa quota system.

Under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union, Canada agreed to more than double tariff-free imports of cheese over five years, starting in September 2017. The new imports will eventually represent about 4 per cent of the Canadian cheese market.

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Small quotas for 2017 were filled, but more than eight months into 2018, only 36 per cent of the high-quality cheese quota has been used. European imports under quotas that predate CETA are on track for the year, suggesting something about the new quotas, which are allocated differently, is limiting imports. Many of the old quotas are held by specialist importers, which are largely shut out of the new system.