The CCA, along with Canadian red meat sector representatives, is participating in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Minister Lawrence MacAulay’s trade mission to Japan and Korea this week. The trade mission comes at a fortuitous time as Canada will officially sign onto the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in Chile on March 8. CCA representatives will be present for that event also, to impress upon the government the need for a swift implementation of the flagship agreement to ensure Canada has first-mover advantage.
The CPTPP will provide Canada’s beef producers with competitive access to Japan and dynamic markets in the Asia-Pacific region. The Minister’s trade mission includes a bilateral meeting and roundtable with industry, and meetings with retail outlets including Costco Japan and importers with the Japanese Meat Traders Association. On previous missions, beef importers in Japan stated that while pleased to have secured a year-round supply of Canadian beef, the combination of the 38.5 per cent tariff and safeguard trigger dampened their ability to significantly increase their purchases of Canadian beef.
The current Japanese 50 per cent safeguard tariff on frozen beef has been in place since July 2017. Once the CPTPP is implemented, Canadian beef will be imported into Japan at the same preferential tariff as Australian beef and we will also be relieved from the Japanese safeguard tariff on frozen beef.
Canada Beef representatives will also be on hand in Tokyo and participate at the Foodex 2018 and host a cooking demonstration. In Seoul, Canada Beef will promote Canadian beef to shoppers at the Lotte Mart and participate in other activities.
The CCA will explore potential for Korea to join the CPTPP while in Seoul. The CCA believes that acceleration of Korea’s beef tariff phaseout to match the U.S.’ access (under the 2013 U.S.-Korea FTA) should be another condition of Korea’s entry into the CPTPP. Under the terms of the 2014 Canada-Korea FTA, the 40 per cent Korean tariff on fresh and frozen beef will be fully eliminated in 15 equal annual steps and the 18 per cent tariff on offals will be fully eliminated in 11 equal annual steps.
Source : Canadian Cattlemen’s Association