Trade Missions To The EU and China Boost Canada’s Agriculture Profile

As a trading nation, Canada’s partnerships with countries around the world are vitally important to keeping the flow of high-quality Canadian goods moving to destinations such as Europe and China

With this in mind, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay embarked on two trade missions this fall.

In October, Minister MacAulay travelled to Europe—visiting Spain, Belgium and Italy—to meet with industry representatives and his European counterparts to advance market access opportunities for Canadian agricultural products.

“There are great opportunities available for our Canadian farmers and food processors in the European market “

“There are great opportunities available for our Canadian farmers and food processors in the European market which will help strengthen our agriculture sector, grow our economy, and create more good paying jobs for Canadians,” said MacAulay.

This mission came on the one-year anniversary of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) coming into force, which paves the way for Canadians to gain greater access to the European market, the world’s largest import market for agriculture and agri-food. The deal gives Canadian farmers, processors and exporters access to more than half a billion consumers.

In November, Minister MacAulay also made his fifth visit to China, where he met with Chinese officials to talk about increasing trade opportunities in agriculture and food. Minister MacAulay attended the first-ever China International Import Expo, where Canada and China signed 18 agriculture and agri-food agreements worth over $353 million.

Minister MacAulay noted the importance of these missions in expanding opportunities for Canadian businesses. “Throughout my two weeks in China, I took every opportunity to forge new relationships with my counterparts and business partners and promote our world-class agricultural sector.”

The Government of Canada’s efforts in China, Europe, the rest of Asia, and North and South America are all helping to diversify trade and create opportunities for Canadians across various sectors, including agriculture and agri-food, to get their products to new markets.

For more information, visit the Agriculture and Food Trade Commissioner Service webpage.

Source: AAFC