The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association strongly supports Canada’s efforts to gain admission to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in an effort to reduce trade barriers for Canadian agricultural exports to Asian-Pacific countries.
“The western Canadian agriculture industry is highly dependent on trade,” says Kevin Bender, President of the Wheat Growers. “Lowering tariffs and other trade barriers through the Trans-Pacific Partnership would result in higher grain and livestock prices for prairie farmers.”
Nine countries currently belong to the TPP: Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam. Canada, Japan and Mexico have also expressed an interest in joining the partnership.
“If Canada is excluded, it means competitors such as Australia and the U.S. will gain preferential access to important markets in Asia and South America,” says Bender. “Embracing this free trade agreement will make sure Canada remains on an equal footing.”
Asian countries represent large and important customers for wheat, canola, malt barley and other crops. Demand for grain and meat is expected to grow significantly in these countries due to rising population and prosperity.
“Strengthening access to these countries will allow us to capture a significant share of these growing markets,” says Bender. “It will also help ensure our agricultural industry is not overly dependent on U.S. or European markets.”
