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The Manitoba Co-operator | July 12, 2012
Canada at TPP table
MOSQUITO CATCHERS EMERGE
By Alex Binkley CO-OPERATOR CONTRIBUTOR / OTTAWA
A
fter months of concerted lobbying, Canada has won a seat at the negotiating table for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Although the trade talks have yet to produce specific deals, they are viewed as a gateway to Asia-Pacific markets and the federal government was anxious to gain membership. The group now consists of the U.S., Australia, Mexico, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. Many expect Japan and China will eventually join. “Considering the economic growth rate in Asia-Pacific, TPP membership is an important strategic decision for our country’s long-term economic growth and prosperity,” said Ron Bonnett, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Thanks to persistent lobbying by New Zealand, Canada’s participation in the talks has always been cast in terms of ending dairy and poultry supply management. The government has always said it won’t sacrifice supply management and the subject wasn’t mentioned by Prime Minister Stephen Harper when the deal was announced. Dairy Farmers of Canada said it expects Ottawa to continue “to defend supply management in all international forums and bilateral trade negotiations.” Other groups are keen to see other tariff walls come down. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association wants all TPP countries to eliminate import tariffs on live cattle, bovine genetics, beef and beef products. Of particular interest are the elimination of Japan’s 38.5-per-cent and Vietnam’s 20-per-cent tariffs on beef. A Pacific trade deal would boost the prospects of Canadian hog producers, said Canadian Pork Council chair Jean-Guy Vincent. “Many of Canada fastest growing pork export markets are in this region and pork exports to its top ten Pacific Asian markets, in addition to Japan, have quadrupled over the past 10 years to now exceed $600 million on an annual basis,” he said. “In the absence of Canadian membership in these critical negotiations, Canadian meat exports would have become progressively disadvantaged in the dynamic and growing trans-Pacific marketplace,” added Jim Laws, executive director of the Canadian Meat Council.
Many species of this colourful insect breed in Manitoba’s wetlands.
PHOTO: GRACIE CRAYSTON
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