International Trade committee  The agricultural industry in P.E.I. employs 3,700 employees. I mentioned the number of employees we have. As we continue to grow and invest in P.E.I., the economy grows with us. Farmers, when they know we are going to be there long term and grow long term, can also go to the bank

International Trade committee  Thank you for the question and opportunity. The potential for Cavendish Farms, and the Canadian french fry industry as a whole, in the Asia-Pacific region is very exciting. It's an area where we are seeing the greatest expansion and the realization of the benefits of potatoes an

International Trade committee  Hypothetically, if the TPP is ratified and Canada does not sign up, if you will, and other markets, the United States and Australia do, those countries are french fry producers and would certainly benefit from that, and we would certainly pay a penalty for not signing up.

International Trade committee  I'm sorry, I missed that question. Could you repeat the question, please.

International Trade committee  Yes, the packaging for Japan is very specific to Japan. It cannot go to any other country, so the regulatory barrier, if you will, ensures that we only produce packaging of finished products for that marketplace. Some other countries, including within the TPP, are more open to co

International Trade committee  That is correct. I believe there's a phase-in period of three to five years, along those lines. Elimination of those tariffs is critically important for us. That would benefit our business significantly.

International Trade committee  With the current tariff rates in place, it is very challenging for us to compete globally with other suppliers. With these tariffs removed, absolutely. It really opens the door for us to increase the volume of product we can market into that expanding marketplace.

International Trade committee  The North American suppliers certainly do. Cavendish Farms alone does not. However, it certainly allows us to plan longer term from a capital investment perspective at our various facilities and that has a trickle-down effect right through our suppliers, through our growers, the

International Trade committee  I don't have a number, but I will say that an increasing number of our employees are—if you'll excuse the term—come from aways.

International Trade committee  Oh, I'm sorry. They're not directly from Prince Edward Island. They are from outside of Prince Edward Island, and outside of Canada. Our business relies on foreign workers coming to Canada to continue working for us and to allow us to continue operating efficiently and effectivel

International Trade committee  We certainly do. We have employees in foreign countries, for sure, yes.

International Trade committee  Within Canada, we have approximately 1,100 direct employees.

International Trade committee  Yes. Mr. Chair, international trade is not only the backbone of why we are where we are today, but it's also what we're going to be looking for in the future for Cavendish Farms and to continue to employ Canadians.

International Trade committee  There are no trade tariffs between the U.S. and Canada.

International Trade committee  It's flat, exactly. This would look the same for the U.S.