Ensuring Canadian agriculture is represented in trade negotiations
Canada exported nearly $92.7 billion worth of agri-food products in 2022, making us the fifth-largest exporter of agri-food and seafood products in the world. Canada is an exporting nation. The flow of goods generated from trade is intimately tied to our standard of living. We continue to support the Canadian government in its effort to secure additional market access and trade diversification opportunities for Canadian agri-food and seafood products.
However, while CFA is supportive of gaining access to new markets, successive trade deals such as CETA, CPTPP and USMCA, in addition to the Global access through the WTO, have resulted in successive market access concessions to supply management sectors, resulting in an aggregate TRQ of around 18% for dairy alone. While we welcome the market access opportunities that these trade agreements provide for Canadian agriculture, these repeat concessions threaten to undermine the resilience and stable food supply that this system affords.
Quick Facts:
- Agriculture and agri-food systems generated $143.8 billion in 2022, accounting for 7% of Canada’s GDP.
- Agriculture provides one in nine jobs in Canada, employing over 2.3 million people.
- The performance of the agriculture and agri-food system depends on their ability to compete in both domestic and international markets.
- Canada was the world’s fifth-largest exporter of agriculture and agri-food products in 2022..
- The U.S. is Canada’s most important export destination accounting for 60% of total Canadian exports. China accounts for 9.2%, while Japan, E.U., and Mexico account for 17% combined.
CFA Recommendations:
- Provide real and meaningful market access opportunities for our export-oriented sectors, such as red meats, grains and oilseeds without compromising supply management.
- Fully mitigate any potential losses supply-managed sectors face as a result of the Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
- Address the leaks in current import controls for supply managed products.
- Engage in bi-lateral trade discussions with China.
- Ensure that access gained through current trade agreements is not eroded by non-tariff barriers
- Focus on regulatory harmonization in agreements already in place.
- Include regulatory alignment in any future trade deals.
- Diversify trading partners to build more resilience into our export system.
- Strengthen Canada’s international presence in advocating for the elimination of non-tariff barriers to trade in international trade agreements which are limiting market access for Canadian products.
- Ensure no additional access to supply-managed sectors in future trade agreements to support a resilient domestic agricultural sector that is vital to national food security and long-term sustainable growth.