The CMC’s submission called for the “earliest possible completion, ratification and implementation” of the TPP. It warned that failure to do so, according to the Council, would result in a “devastating blow” to the Canadian Meat Industry, which represents a significant segment of Canada’s economy and jobs.
The TPP hit a stumbling when in January of this year, US President Trump signed a presidential memorandum to withdraw from the TPP however the other 11 TPP countries agreed in May 2017 to revive the deal without US participation.
The submission highlighted the important part in which international trade represents for the Canadian livestock and meat sector. In 2016, CAD$6.2 billion (bn) of meat products was exported to more than 100 countries around the globe. 28% or CAD$1.7bn was exported to TPP-11 members, particularly Japan.
According to the CMC, “under TPP-11, Canadian meat exports to Japan are projected to increase by CAD$500 million” and that without the speedy implementation of the TPP, Canada risks losing a critical competitive advantage to other large exporters such as the European Union.
In its submission it cited the “costly decline experienced” as a result of stalled Canadian negotiations with South Korea.
“Not only did Canadian meat exports collapse by 56% after competitors gained preferential access to the Korean market, the Canadian market access disadvantage will endure during the remaining years of the fifteen-year implementation period of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement.”
It believes the cost of Canada’s non-participation in the TPP could spell disaster for the meat industry, particularly, in the meat packing and processing sector which is typically a major or primary employer in towns and cities across Canada.
The CMC affirms that abstention or indecision by Canada should not be accepted as a viable option. The Council also notes that should the ratification or implementation of the TPP by other countries be delayed, Canada should immediately re-invigorate negotiations of the CanadaJapan Economic Partnership Agreement to counter the increasing loss of Canadian competitiveness to other countries.