Canadian Pork producers are welcoming the conclusion of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiations. Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper and European commission President José Manuel Barroso on September 26 signed a declaration marking the end of negotiations in Ottawa.
This agreement will secure free access for processed pork products on the day this new agreement takes effect and Canada will acquire a quota volume equivalent to 80 thousand metric tons of pork cuts. Canada’s pork industry exports two-thirds of its production. The diversification in export marketing opportunities is crucial to maintaining this important industry.
“The Canadian and EU markets for pork complement each other and this relationship holds great potential to enhance the sector’s export opportunities, as well as benefit workers, businesses and families who rely on the pork sector for their livelihood,” the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) said in a statement. “The Canadian pork industry urges Canada and the EU to work toward an aggressive timetable to bring the agreement info force.”
Current exports of pork cuts to the EU are virtually non-existent. According to the CPC, this is not because Canadian pork prices are uncompetitive, but instead is due to tariff and non-tariff barriers to entry into the EU market which CETA will now address. 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.
