From the Canadian Pork Council
Ottawa - "While we look forward to seeing additional details in texts that become available in coming days, based on what was announced today, the CPC strongly supports Canada participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership", said Rick Bergmann, Chair of the Canadian Pork Council.
Mr. Bergmann cited several reasons for the CPC to welcome the deal:
·The Trans-Pacific Partnership provides Canada with preferential access to a group of countries accounting for roughly 40% of the world economy.
·It secures Canada's ability to export pork to Japan, one of our most important markets to which we sell roughly a billion dollars of pork annually, on fully competitive terms with the United States and other TPP pork-exporting countries."We learned only too well in the case of South Korea how being the only major exporter without a trade agreement results in very rapid loss of market presence", said Mr. Bergmann, who farms in Steinbach, Manitoba."We saw our exports to that country fall by close to 75% within just two years following the implementation of the U.S. free trade agreement with South Korea."
·The deal will provide Canadian pork exporters with important competitive advantages relative to non-TPP countries for selling into Japan.
·The Trans-Pacific Partnership achieves significantly improved terms of access into countries within the TPP other than Japan, such as Vietnam whose population is approaching 90 million inhabitants and whose preferred meat, by far, is pork.Malaysia is another TPP partner offering significant potential for increased Canadian pork sales.
·As a founding member of the TPP, Canada will be in a position to negotiate terms of entry of other countries seeking to join the deal, such as South Korea, Philippines and Thailand.
Mr. Bergmann added: "The TPP agreement provides important export growth potential which will encourage Canada's 7,000 pork farmers to invest in their production facilities and to create new job opportunities for Canadians both on and off the farm".
"I want to commend Canada's negotiators, led by Kirsten Hillman, in the tremendous effort to arrive at this agreement" said Mr. Bergmann, "and I also wish to congratulate International Trade Minister Ed Fast on his leadership in concluding the deal".
The CPC serves as the national voice for hog producers in Canada. A federation of nine provincial pork industry associations, the organization's purpose is to play a leadership role in achieving and maintaining a dynamic and prosperous Canadian pork sector.
Source: CPC