Canadian beef and pork industry leaders are urging federal politicians to block United Kingdom entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.
They point to trade barriers the United Kingdom has put up.
“Under the current system, there is no viable market access for beef and pork,’ they said in a news release and they want the politicians to hold out until they are granted “fair access” to the U.K. market.
“Failing that, we are asking Parliament to ensure producers and processors for both products are fairly compensated for the damages and losses that will result,” said the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the Canadian Pork Council.
The main area of concern for our industry is the failure to accept Canada’s meat inspection system, widely recognized as one of the finest in the world, they said.
They have made the same argument over European Union trade rules.
“The UK (and the EU) do not accept Canada’s food safety and animal health systems and measures, and those non-tariff barriers limit our access to the UK market. In addition, there is a lack of reciprocal tariff measures which, under the interim measure, have allowed British beef and pork full access to the Canadian market without full reciprocity.”
The United Kingdom has sold about $40 million worth of beef and $10 million worth of pork to Canadian buyers in the last two years while Canadian beef and pork exports to the U.K. were zero.
