Evidence of meeting #12 for International Trade in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was saskatchewan.
Senior Vice-President, Trade Development, Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership
I'm a big believer in the organization, the governance of it. It's what we think, and we would like to see other provinces take on the model. We think there's a benefit to it, and we're there to help it along.
Conservative
Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Richard, you made the point about infrastructure and logistics. I agree with you that we can grow it, transform it, but we have to get it to market in a timely and efficient way. I think that's the second step that's needed once you have these markets. You have a unionized workforce.
Conservative
Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Do you have the support of that unionized workforce in going global and embracing TPP? We hear a lot of other unions saying, “My God, this is terrible. Don't do it.”
Conservative
Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
No, they're not picketing the office, or taking sick days.
Adviser, Viterra
They understand that we're an export-based company and an export-based country. We have great buy-in from our employees.
Conservative
Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
You're one of the big global corporations that are terrible. You know that, right?
Adviser, Viterra
We're a big global corporation. I'll leave it at that.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
We'll have to move over to the Liberal side, which I know you'll really appreciate, Mr. Ritz.
We have Mr. Fonseca, for five minutes.
Go ahead, sir.
Liberal
Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
Thank you, Chair.
Thanks to the panel.
We've heard from many presenters here today and in the last couple of cities and provinces we've been in. They have been mostly businesses that would be burdened if there was not a ratification of the TPP.
Today it's kind of refreshing to hear Ms. Stinka and others talk about an industry of potash that is tariff free with the TPP countries.
The first question I'd like to ask is, because you're tariff free with the TPP countries.... I think that's what I heard. Was that correct? With all of them?
Liberal
Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
The previous Canadian government was looking at being involved, being one of the originals with the TPP, so when were you first brought in? When were you first engaged in this process?
Manager, Corporate Services, Canpotex
We've been very happy to participate and to engage in any discussions on the TPP. We've had engagement with the ministers of international trade on a variety of trade issues, including the TPP. I can't give you a date, but we've had discussions with both elected officials and public servants about our trade interests as well as those in the overseas markets in the TPP.
Liberal
Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
Could I ask how much of our potash is exported?
Manager, Corporate Services, Canpotex
Approximately 45% of Saskatchewan's potash is exported overseas.
Liberal
Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
Overseas, yes. Outside of the U.S., it's only overseas.
To the TPP countries, how much of that 45%...?
Manager, Corporate Services, Canpotex
I don't have that data in front of me, but I can share that with you offline.
Liberal
Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
Okay.
Are there tariffs with other countries on potash globally?
Manager, Corporate Services, Canpotex
Yes, there are tariffs in some countries. There's also some regulatory differences—some that were mentioned earlier—that potash may face, such as import restrictions, or even sizing or chemical composition of potash. Those are things that we've encountered.
The TPP generally, as we mentioned, is tariff free. Generally, these markets are fairly open. In some of them, we've been operating for as long as we've been around, which is over forty years.
Liberal
Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
You're tariff free also with other potash producers, whether it be China or Russia or some of the other countries—Germany?