Evidence of meeting #3 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was products.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
5:05 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance
The one thing I will say about the grains, though, is that one of the really nice wins in this deal is that with low-grade and mid-grade common wheat we were able to actually get an immediate quota for those products. We have a quota of 38,000 tonnes and it goes immediately to 100,000 tonnes and that's worth about $20 million right off the bat.
5:05 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance
Way to go to our negotiators.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Joe Preston Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
The other piece is, and I'm not sure we've touched enough on it today.... We've touched on it a little bit, but it is that we're there before the U.S. This is a significant trade deal with a very large market and Canada is there before the United States. I know there was a little bit of bragging, if you will, on the U.S.-Korean deal and how they had finished there first. We saw a little bit of an effect of that on us. But how big an issue is this, that we're there before the U.S. is even--we think--doing very well at the table?
5:10 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance
It's huge, and we've been bragging ourselves to our American colleagues.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Joe Preston Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
I'll get a bunch on the phone too, if you'd like.
5:10 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance
It's not across the board, but in many respects we produce a lot of the same products as our American counterparts.
5:10 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance
Where we are big exporters, they are big exporters. They truly are one of our biggest competitors, so if we can get into a 500-million person market ahead of them, then good on us. I think what it also does is signal to the rest of the world that Canada is a significant player when it comes trade deals.
To an earlier question, I think the Americans and the Europeans will be difficult adversaries in negotiations; they certainly will hold their ground with each other.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Meat Council
Mr. Chair, to add to that, I think it's very important to note that for Canadian farmers the deal is that it has to be Canadian animals used in the meat sent over. We can't sneak in U.S. meat and send it off. No, it will benefit Canadian farmers.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bev Shipley
I want to thank you, Mr. Preston.
I want to thank the witnesses for coming out and being very timely. We're right on time, so I thank you again.
We'll break for a few minutes while we reset the clock for an in camera session.
Thank you.
[Proceedings continue in camera]