Thank you.
I am vice-president of sales and marketing for Lantic, a Canadian-owned company with more than 650 dedicated employees across the country and annual sales of over $600 million. Lantic is the largest refiner of sugar in Canada by way of its two brands: Lantic and Rogers.
We have three capital-intensive refined sugar operations in Canada: two cane refineries, one in Montreal and the other in Vancouver, as well as a beet processing plant in Taber, Alberta. We also have a distribution centre in Toronto and a blending facility in Scarborough, Ontario, that produces products such as iced tea and dry dairy and bakery blends for the Canadian and U.S. markets.
Today I would briefly like to reinforce the comments made by Sandra Marsden and emphasize the value of this historic trade opportunity for our company.
For Lantic, this agreement marks a welcome opening of trade opportunities into the previously closed European Union market. The only meaningful export market we have today for Canadian sugar is the U.S. market, which provides for a modest quota access for Canadian beet sugar from our plant in Alberta. In the long term, the gradual elimination of EU duties on sugar from Canada will be a very important benefit to our sugar beet processing in Alberta and our grower partners.
In the near term, Lantic will benefit from additional sugar sales in Canadian-made sugar-containing products produced at our blending facility in Scarborough, as part of the initial 30,000-tonne quota that will grow to over 52,000 tonnes over time. This will also enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of our sugar refinery in Montreal, Quebec, through the addition of refined sugar.
Finally, new market access into the European Union for sugar and chocolate confectionery and other processed foods that use sugar will also benefit Lantic and its customer base in Canada. Over time, these new export opportunities will help support jobs and economic growth in the Canadian sugar and processed foods industry.
We at Lantic applaud the ongoing efforts of the government to widen Canada’s commercial relationships on a global basis. CETA is a very positive development in a highly restricted global market. We also believe that this comprehensive agreement sets the stage for Canada's ambition in other trade negotiations, such as the TPP. We strongly support and encourage the trade-liberalizing negotiations that will help us diversify our customer base and ensure that Lantic continues its important contribution to the Canadian economy, as it has done for over a century.
Thank you.