Harper Government Helps Canada’s Canola Industry Maintain Access to Lucrative Chinese Market
China has agreed to grant Canadian canola producers and exporters continued market access to the lucrative Chinese market while governments and industry continue to work towards finding a long term solution.
"This is tremendous news for our canola producers and processors and is a testament to our strong and collaborative working relationship with China," said Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture. "Continued access to the Chinese market for our world-class canola will put more money in our producers’ pockets, and that’s something the Harper Government is very pleased to facilitate."
"This development demonstrates that the growing Canada-China commercial relationship is benefiting Canadian farmers and their families," added Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway. "We value and welcome the continued access as China is now the world’s second-largest economy. It is important that we further develop our trading relationship with China to create opportunities for hard-working Canadians"
Today’s announcement is part of an ongoing strategy to achieve a stable trading environment with China for Canadian canola. In 2009, exports of Canadian canola seed to China were impacted by import restrictions related to blackleg. In cooperation with the Government of Canada, the Canadian canola industry will continue to work with China to better understand and reduce impacts from blackleg on trade.
"We welcome China's commitment to work in partnership to maintain trade in canola while jointly tackling research to reduce the threat of blackleg," said Canola Council of Canada President JoAnne Buth. "We thank Ministers Ritz and Fast and the Government of Canada for achieving this extension, and we appreciate their ongoing efforts to resolve this issue."
This interim commitment extends access to Canada's most valuable canola export market. In the 2010 calendar year, canola product exports to China were worth $1.8 billion.
Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada