Efforts to Expand Economic Ties with Japan

CANADA - The Canadian pork industry welcomes the Canadian government’s efforts to expand economic ties with Japan and congratulates the two countries’ governments on the decision to negotiate a comprehensive economic partnership agreement to expand trade and investment.

28 March 2012

3 minute read

North America

“Pork exports from Canada to Japan have been a major success story and this has led to a strong trade relationship that has benefited both countries,“ stated Canadian Pork Council’s Chair, Jean-Guy Vincent “The Canadian pork sector has a long history of trade with Japan that goes back more than 40 years, since the first shipment of pork left Canada for Japan.“

The Japanese market is extremely important for all Canadian pork industry stakeholders with sales in 2011 of 219,000 tonnes valued at $894 million. This represents approximately 20 per cent of total Canadian pork exports by volume but almost 28 per cent in value. The Canadian hog industry estimates that a successful economic agreement with Japan could increase Canadian pork exports to Japan by 20 per cent to well past $1 billion a year.

Canada is currently Japan’s third-largest supplier of pork, after the United States and the European Union. “There is certainly room to grow our sales to Japan,“ added Mr Vincent, “and a trade liberalization agreement between our two nations will provide a big boost for that to happen.“

“The Japanese market is very demanding on the safety of products requiring a high level of food safety from importers,“ said Mr Vincent. These requirements have enabled the Canadian pork industry to develop high quality food safety programs, such as the CQA Program, that have assisted the industry in accessing Japanese and other international pork markets.