OTTAWA, March 9, 2018 /CNW/ - Budget 2018 reaffirms the Government of Canada's commitment to actively deepening trade relationships, through modern, progressive free trade agreements, including in new, fast-growing markets in Asia. Building on Canada's strong trade relationship with these trading partners will help grow Canada's middle-class by creating good, well-paying jobs, and will help the government reach its ambitious target of $75 billion in agricultural exports by 2025.
The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, concluded a week-long trip to Japan and South Korea. He met with the Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Mr. Ken Saito, and the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Mr. Katsunobu Kato, to highlight Canada and Japan's longstanding and collaborative trade relationship, and to reaffirm its importance in the context of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which was officially signed yesterday in Santiago, Chile.
The CPTPP will provide enhanced market access to key Asian markets, including Japan. This landmark agreement will give the Canadian agricultural industry preferential access to all CPTPP countries and will provide new market access opportunities for a wide range of Canadian products, including meat, grains, pulses, maple syrup, wines and spirits, seafood and agri-food.
The Minister also attended FOODEX Japan 2018, Asia's largest professional trade show for food and beverages. The event hosted over 80,000 buyers from a variety of businesses including food services, distribution and trading. Minister MacAulay used the opportunity to promote Canada's world-class agricultural products and highlight trade opportunities. Canadian industry representatives reported qualifying more than 1169 leads, 20 percent of which they believe will lead to future business. In terms of sales, industry representatives reported some 7.2 million in on-site sales, and 15.5 million in anticipated sales, over the next year.
Minister MacAulay, along with a delegation of Canadian industry stakeholders, met with representatives from Costco Japan. The Minister discussed the success of Canada's high-quality pork exports and congratulated Costco on their decision to exclusively import Canadian pork at all of their Japanese stores.
In South Korea, Minister MacAulay met with government officials, as well as representatives from a range of domestic industry groups. This included retailer Lotte Mart, an East-Asian superstore operating 122 branches in the country, and the Korean Meat Importers Association, which operates closely with the South Korean government to facilitate trade. The Minister underlined Canada's role as a world leader in meat exports, and encouraged further increases in trade volume between our two countries.
Quotes
"Canada is building strong markets in Asia for our agricultural products, which will benefit our farmers and food processors, and help grow the middle-class at home and abroad. There are great opportunities available through shared markets that will help us strengthen our agriculture and food trade relationship, and provide consumers with more of our high-quality, innovative foods and beverages."
- The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
"Increasing trade and investment with our partners in the Asia-Pacific is essential if we are to create long-term prosperity and well-paying middle class jobs. With the recent signing of the CPTPP, Canadian companies will have preferential market access to Japan and other CPTPP markets on a wide range of Canadian-made products."
- The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of International Trade
Quick Facts
- Over 50 Canadian exhibitors attended FOODEX Japan in 2018.
- Japan was Canada's third-largest market for agri-food and seafood with exports of $4.2 billion in 2016
- Bilateral agriculture and agri-food trade between Canada and South Korea exceeds $760 million.
- Once the CPTPP enters into force, it will be one of the largest free trade agreements in the world—11 countries representing nearly 500 million people, with a combined GDP of $13.5 trillion, or 13.5% of global GDP.
Associated Links
- Agriculture and Food Market Intelligence – Asia
- Outline of opportunities in South Korea
- Outline of opportunities in Japan
- Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
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SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Halifax
Guy Gallant, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, 613-773-1059; Media Relations, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 613-773-7972, 1-866-345-7972
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