With protectionism on the rise and the global trading system under threat, CAFTA will be engaging with candidates from all parties during the 43rd federal general election
Ottawa, Ontario — The Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) today released a prescription of what’s required from trade agreements to allow agri-food exports to continue setting records. This fall’s 43rd federal general election is a critical time for candidates from all parties to consider what the federal government needs to do with trade agreements to enable agri-food exports to continue bringing jobs and prosperity to communities across the country. The platform was launched by CAFTA representatives at an end-of-session press conference held on Parliament Hill.
The platform, entitled “Realizing Canada’s Export Potential in an Unpredictable and Fiercely Competitive World” highlights the challenges and opportunities facing the hundreds of thousands of Canadians whose livelihoods depend on agri-food exports. In a world where trade is increasingly linked to geopolitical and global events, a deliberate strategy to ensure trade agreements enable free and fair trade is more important than ever.
Some of the platform’s key recommendations that CAFTA will be urging all candidates to endorse are:
- Preserving and Enhancing Access in Key Export Markets
- Ratifying and bringing CUSMA into force as quickly as possible
- Monitoring and proactively promoting proper implementation of the CPTPP and CETA to ensure commitments are kept and potential realized
- Creating New Export Opportunities
- Bringing additional counties into the CPTPP such as South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia
- Fostering positive, long-term and mutually beneficial relationships with China
- Supporting Rules-Based Trade and the Global Trading System
- Supporting efforts to reform and modernize the WTO so that it remains an effective organization at the forefront of the global trading system
- Prioritizing Canada’s Trade Objectives
- Setting clear priorities by focusing on trade negotiations that hold the greatest promise for Canadian businesses
QUOTES:
“Despite record agri-food exports in 2018, growth and prosperity are threatened by unprecedented uncertainty and protectionism. The global trading system at risk and whoever forms government this fall must work to uphold trade rules and seek new opportunities through trade agreements. We’re launching our platform to inform candidates what agri-food exporters require from trade agreements.”
- Brian Innes, President, Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance
“Competitive access to international markets is critical to our businessfood manufacturers are highly integrated and depend on predictable and fair market access, as exports are the only way that we can grow and employ more Canadians. We strongly urge all MPs to ensure the normalization of trade in North America by ratifying and bringing CUSMA into force as quickly as possible. Delays in ratifying will prevent us from maintaining our competitive edge within our integrated North American supply chains.”
- David Pigott, President, Frozen Foods Division, Morrison Lamothe Inc., Member of Food & Consumer Products of Canada
“The CPTPP is a great deal for Canada’s beef producers because it gets our high-quality products into the lucrative Japanese market and provides potential for further growth. The CPTPP framework provides potential for new markets in Asia Pacific, which is slated to be the largest growth region for Canadian beef over the next 25 years. The Government of Canada must maintain dialogue that progresses agriculture trade within Asia and ensures agri-food exporters have meaningful access to new markets.”
- Dan Darling, beef producer in Ontario and Past President of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association
"Strong, enforceable free trade agreements are crucial for the future growth of grain farms across Canada. The vast majority of our crops are destined for overseas markets. As farmers, we are calling on government to expedite work with our trading partners to ensure that the free flow of high quality Canadian agri-food products is not hindered by costly non-tariff barriers to trade."
- William van Tassel, grain farmer producing soybeans and canola in Quebec; Director, Grain Growers of Canada
CAFTA members — including farmers, ranchers and food manufacturers — contribute nearly $100 billion to Canada’s economy annually and support one million jobs in urban and rural areas in every region of the country.
CAFTA is the voice of Canadian agriculture and agri-food exporters, representing the 90% of farmers who depend on trade and the ranchers, producers, processors and agri-food exporters who want to grow the economy through better access to international markets. This includes the beef, pork, meat, grains, cereals, pulses, soybeans, canola as well as the sugar, malt, and processed food industries. The sectors CAFTA represents support over a million jobs in urban and rural communities across Canada.
For information, please contact:
Claire Citeau, Executive Director
T: 613-560-0500 / C : 613-266-9104
cciteau@cafta.org
www.cafta.org