Nickel dispute boiling after EU labels metal compounds carcinogenic

Published March 31, 2010

Although Canada and the European Union are in the midst of negotiating a comprehensive free trade agreement, a potential dispute is boiling under the surface involving one of Canada's most important natural resource exports: nickel.

The EU has listed more than 100 nickel compounds as severe threats to human health—a classification which Canada sees as a potential trade barrier and a major hit to...