The Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) is applauding the ratification of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
The United States and Mexico are the first and fourth largest exports markets for Canadian food and agricultural products, making up over half of total Canadian food and agricultural exports last year.
CAFTA says at a time of great uncertainty for Canadians, ratifying the CUSMA quickly provides assurances to Canadian agri-food exporters, adding the agreement returns stability and certainty to North American trade.
“CAFTA members have stood firmly behind Canadian negotiators throughout the negotiations that led to this deal, and we are pleased that this day has arrived," said CAFTA President Dan Darling. "For Canada’s agri-food exporters, competitive access to international markets is our bread and butter. We applaud the efforts of everyone who contributed to getting CUSMA to this point and look forward to reaping the benefits of continued free trade in vital North American markets.”
In a news release, CAFTA outlined key wins for Canada’s agri-food sector in the new CUSMA agreement:
Upholding predicable, duty-free access to the North American market. Outcomes reached in the agreement contain no new tariff or trade-restricting measures and all agricultural products that had zero tariffs under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will remain at zero tariffs under the new CUSMA.
Safeguarding the food manufacturing supply chains that have been developed over the past generation, therefore ensuring trade in North America will remain predictable, stable and highly integrated.
Meaningful progress on regulatory alignment and cooperation. The establishment of the Working Group for Cooperation on Agricultural Biotechnology and the creation of a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary Committee will ensure regulations are transparent, based on science and that trade in North America flows freely, fairly and abundantly.
Preserving Chapter 19 in its entirety and much of Chapter 20 from the previous NAFTA which will ensure that fair and transparent dispute resolution provisions are in place for when disagreements arise.
Improved market access via increased quotas for refined sugar and sugar containing products as well as gains for some oilseed products.
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