2013 Federal Budget Reconfirms Canada’s Commitment to Trade

Media Release: Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance

22 Mars 2013 Ottawa, Canada – CAFTA is pleased to see the federal government’s continued commitment to ensuring Canadian farmers and food manufacturers can compete in a global business arena.

The Canadian government’s Economic Action Plan 2013 continues to highlight a strong commitment to opening new markets and to ensuring Canadian agriculture producers and food processors have access to consumers around the globe.

“The Action Plan highlights Canada’s focus on achieving significant trade deals with the European Union, India and Japan and pursing free trade with the other members of the Trans Pacific Partnership, priority markets for our members,” said CAFTA Executive Director Kathleen Sullivan,. CAFTA also stresses the need for Canada to continue making headway in other key markets including South Korea, a market virtually lost to Canadian agri-food exporters, when the US-Korea Free Trade Deal was implemented in 2012.

The Economic Action Plan also notes the significant progress on and investment in the Beyond the Border Action Plan intended to foster stronger economic and security initiatives with the Unites States, Canada’s largest trading partner. “Initiatives that simplify trade, ease export restrictions and enhance regulatory cooperation benefit Canadian farmers and food processors whose goods cross the border into the U.S. every day,” said CAFTA President Richard Phillips.

CAFTA looks forward to the release of the refreshed Global Commerce Strategy over the coming months and is eagerly awaiting the finalization of major trade deals this year with the EU and South Korea.

About CAFTA CAFTA is a coalition of national and regional organizations which support a more open and fair international trading environment for agriculture and agri-food. CAFTA’s members include producer organizations, processors, marketers and exporters from the major trade dependent sectors in Canada. Together, these sectors produce almost 80% of Canada's agriculture and agri-food exports, conduct about $40 billion in business annually and directly employ close to 500,000 Canadians. For more information, contact: Kathleen Sullivan, 613-560-0500.

The Canadian Sugar Institute is a member of CAFTA.