Canada’s Minister of Trade, François-Philippe Champagne and trade representatives from the 10 CPTPP countries signed the deal in an official ceremony today in Santiago, Chile.

“Canada is a globally competitive producer and exporter of pork and pork products. We have worked hard to develop our reputation as a reliable supplier of safe, wholesome, high-quality pork. The key to building on our success, however, is the ability to access a wide variety of markets,” stated Canadian Pork Council Chair Rick Bergmann.

“This deal will provide our industry stability in vital markets like Japan and opportunities in emerging markets like Vietnam. Canadian pork producers can rest easy knowing that their livelihood and that of thousands of other Canadians in rural and urban communities who work in the pork industry is supported by this newest trade deal,” Bergmann adds.

This agreement will secure preferential market access to the FTA partner countries through tariff elimination and reduction with the most noticeable gain for Canadian pork being Japan. According Global Affairs Canada’s Office of the Chief Economist, Canadian pork exports to Japan are projected to increase by $639 million or 36.2% under the CPTPP.

In light of the CPTPP being signed and in anticipation of its timely ratification and implementation, a team of pork producers from across Canada were in Japan this week for to see firsthand the new opportunities being created by the signature of the CPTPP. Pork producers saw how their product is marketed to buyers in Japan and noted the importance they placed on on-farm assurance programs.

The pork industry is an important part of Canada’s agriculture and agri—food sector. Canadian pork production amounts to close 2 million tonnes per year and over two thirds of this is exported. In 2017, over 1.2 million tonnes of pork, valued at $4 billion was exported to over 100 different countries. Canada is the third-largest pork exporting country in terms of both value and volume and represents 20% of the world pork trade.

The CPC serves as the national voice for hog producers in Canada. A federation of nine provincial pork industry associations, our organization’s purpose is to play a leadership role in achieving and maintaining a dynamic and prosperous Canadian pork sector.

As reported by the Canadian Pork Council/Conseil canadien du porc