CMC Calls for Continued Bilateral Trade Discussions with Japan

By Bruce Cochrane.

The Director of International Trade, Government and Media Relations with the Canadian Meat Council says it's important for Canada to continue its bilateral trade negotiations with Japan in the event the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement falls through.

Earlier this month International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland and representatives of the 11 other nations participating in the Tans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement travelled to New Zealand to sign the deal.

However the governments of each individual nation still must ratify the agreement to ensure their participation.
Ron Davidson, the Director of International Trade, Government and Media Relations with the Canadian Meat Council, acknowledges the fact that these 12 countries have signed the text and can begin the ratification process is very important.

Ron Davidson-Canadian Meat Council:
As the deal is presently written, ratification does require both the United States and Japan.

Because, if we have 85 percent participation, if either the United States or Japan does not participate then the deal as presently written would not go forward.

For this reason it's very important for Canada that we continue to keep an eye on the bilateral negotiations that we were having with Japan.
So we should continue to speak with the Japanese and move forward because, as you know, Australia already has a deal with Japan which is cumulatively having an impact on our exports.
If we wish to stay competitive in that market, we do need a plan B should the TPP not go forward.

Although, having said that, we are optimistic that at the end of the day the TPP will enter in force.

Davidson says, if this trade agreement comes into force, it will change the trading environment and moving forward there will be no status-quo.

He stresses the Canadian agri-food sector is extremely export dependant and TPP participants have long either been competitors to us or markets for us or both and it is absolutely vital to Canadian agriculture that Canada be part of that deal.

Source: Farmscape