Good morning, members. It's a pleasure to be here today to share how the TPP will bring value to the oilseed processors in Canada.
COPA is a federally incorporated non-profit industry association that works closely with the Canola Council to represent the interests of oilseed processors in Canada. COPA's membership consists of six companies that own and operate 14 processing facilities located in five provinces, from Quebec to Alberta. The western plants process canola, and the eastern plants process canola and soybeans. The facilities process the raw seed into two distinct value-added products: oil primarily for human consumption, and meal for livestock feed, which in turn are sold to domestic and international customers.
I'll now turn to some of the value that oilseed processing brings to the Canadian economy. In 2013 it was estimated that the Canadian processing and refining industry contributed $1.3 billion in annual economic impacts to the domestic economy. More than 9,700 Canadian jobs are directly or indirectly attributed to the processing, refining, and delivery of canola meal and oil. These include a wide range of stable and high-paying jobs in both rural and urban communities. These jobs are directly supported by international trade.
To give you a sense of the growth we've experienced in our sector, over the past decade nearly $2 billion has been invested in plant construction, and processing capacity has more than doubled, reaching a new high of 10 million tonnes in 2015 for canola. More capacity has led to more seed processing in Canada, capturing higher value along the supply chain, which is directly injected back into the Canadian economy. This expansion is primarily attributed to the strong demand in international markets, as Canada's market is limited in population and growth in per capita consumption of both oil and meal.
Here are some specific values for canola to illustrate our industry's growth during the past 10 years and our reliance on international markets. In 2005 we were crushing 3.1 million tonnes of canola seed in Canada. In 2015 we are now crushing 7.7 million tonnes of canola. To give you a sense of how important the export market is for that growth, in 2005 we exported $708 million worth of vegetable oil to global markets, versus $2.7 billion in 2015. On canola meal, the livestock feed, in 2005 we exported $228 million, and in 2015 $1.3 billion.
We're talking almost a quintupling of growth in both meal and oil exports. This growth is largely attributed to existing FTAs that Canada has signed, primarily NAFTA, so really it points to the success of our industry and how it relates to free trade agreements.
For future growth, we are aligned with the Canola Council's plan to meet the world's growing appetite for healthier oils and protein, and have set a goal to increase our canola crushing capacity to 14 million tonnes by 2025. But how will we get there? We've relied on the success of previous trade agreements for our previous growth, but for future growth we will rely on the TPP. It is a critical opportunity for processors, and the entire value chain quite frankly, to earn more value from international markets.
Processors will benefit from the TPP, as tariffs on oil and meal will be eliminated in such key markets as Japan and Vietnam, estimated to increase the value of our exports by up to $780 million a year. In particular, Canadian oilseed processors have sought access into Japan's market for nearly four decades. We've been trying hard to access this market for a very long time. With the TPP, processors will finally be able to access this lucrative market, allowing more seed to be processed in Canada, which will support jobs in communities across this country.
In closing, the oilseed processors make a substantial value-added contribution to the oilseed supply chain and the Canadian economy. COPA's member companies require that Canada implement the TPP as soon as possible in order for the benefits to materialize and grow this value-added sector. I really want to underscore that point: we are a value-added sector.
I look forward to answering any of your questions this morning.
Thank you.