(Ottawa, ON) - The Canadian Pork Council welcomed today's news that officials from Canada and the European Union (EU) have reached a complete text for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).This step allows the agreement to be translated and the final legal review to commence by goverments and stakeholders.
"The pork industry appreciates the government pursuing our access interests to the very end and encourages the federal and provincial goverments to move quickly to implement the agreement", stated CPC's Chair Jean-Guy Vincent. "The Canadian and EU markets for pork complement each other and this relationship holds great potential to enhance our sector's export opportunities, as well as benefit workers, businesses and families who rely on the pork sector for their livelihood."
Canadian hog producers, pork processors and meat traders and the many other companies in Canada that provide inputs and services to the industry have a very strong interest in Canada aggressively pursuing further progress toward reducing agri-food trade barriers and achieving additional market access through bilateral trade agreements similar to this trade agreement with the EU. Canada's pork industry exports two-thirds of its production. The diversification in export marketing opportunities is crucial to maintaining this important industry. Canada currently imports a significant volume of high value pork ribs from the EU and the pork industry sees the market opportunity for shipping hams and other pork cuts to the EU.
"Our current exports of pork cuts to the EU are virtually non-existent. This is not because our prices are uncompetitive but instead is due to tariff and non-tariff barriers to entry into the EU market which CETA will now address" added Vincent. "CETA will provide the Canadian pork sector meaningful access to the EU market and an estimated economic return far greater than the projected export value when factoring in the additional economic development stimulated by the increased feed grain production, meat processing and distribution activities generated by these new sales of Canadian pork.
Canada has been exporting pork for over 100 years. We are known all over the world as a supplier of safe high quality pork. Annual Canadian pork exports amount to approximately 1.2 million tonnes with a value of well over 3 billion dollars. Canada is the third largest pork exporter in the world. The EU is the only important pork-consuming market for which the Canadian pork industry has had little real access with a population of 500 million people consuming over 20 million tonnes of pork.
The CPC serves as the national voice for hog producers in Canada. A federation of nine provincial pork industry associations, our organization's purpose is to play a leadership role in achieving and maintaining a dynamic and prosperous Canadian pork sector.
Source: CPC