E-Newsletter dsfsfa An update from MBP September 15, 2023
mbbeef.ca
New campaign urges the federal Government to defend Canada's science-based standards in international meat industry (September 12, 2023 joint media release) Ottawa, ON - Today, the
Canadian Cattle Association, Canadian Meat Council, and National Cattle Feeders’ Association are publicly launching our campaign “Say No to A Bad Deal” to stand up for science-based trade standards. In July, the Government of Canada announced the accession of the United Kingdom (UK) to the Comprehensive Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The campaign seeks to implore the Federal Government to delay approving the UK’s acceptance to the CPTPP until a fair deal is negotiated between Canada and the UK. Canadian meat is currently severely disadvantaged in the interim agreement with the UK as technical, non-tariff trade barriers have resulted in Canada being unable to access the UK market, while the UK enjoys unfettered access into the Canadian market.
The proposed agreement will see the UK exporting over $50 million of their meat producers into the Canadian market, while Canada will be unable to export any meat products into their market. The main obstacle is the UK’s full acceptance of Canada’s food safety system, which is widely recognized as a leading set of standards in the world. The Government of Canada has supported the UK’s bid to join CPTPP without first achieving viable access for Canadian beef and pork to the UK. The CPTPP has been an excellent agreement thus far with the initial participants implementing a high standard for trade liberalization and science-based rules. The Canadian beef and pork industry believes that an agreement with the UK that leaves a significant barrier in place and politicizes food safety decisions, and in doing so does not meet the standard of the CPTPP.
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