Trade with the U.K. took centre stage at the November fly-in meetings, held virtually this year, with elected officials and Government of Canada staff.
While the Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA) recognizes the Government of Canada’s efforts to avoid market access disruptions with the United Kingdom (U.K.) through an interim agreement, the CCA remains focused on the need for a future fulsome Canada-U.K. free trade agreement (FTA). CCA was pleased to see a commitment to return to the negotiating table next year in the government’s recent announcement.
Despite the growth of Canadian beef exports to the EU and the U.K., CCA remains highly concerned with obstacles preventing Canada from reaching its full potential under CETA and subsequently the Canada-UK transitional agreement. CCA is advocating for a number of improvements including reciprocal beef market access in the future FTA.
In relation to the meetings, on November 23, 2020, CCA’s Foreign Trade Committee Co-Chair, Doug Sawyer and Fawn Jackson, CCA’s Director of Government and International Affairs presented to the House of Commons International Trade Committee where they stressed the need to establish a more equitable trading relationship between Canada and the U.K.
“British beef exports to Canada are expected to be double the value of Canadian beef to the UK this year. While our exports to the UK and EU are growing, British beef is doing exceedingly well in Canada,” stated Sawyer during the meeting. “In a future agreement it is imperative that the beef industries in Canada and the UK can equally benefit from and grow this relationship and that the factors that are currently limiting the growth of Canadian beef exports be removed.”
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