April 4, 2023

Canadian Cattle Association raises concern over UK market access for Canadian beef

The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is displeased that Canada has agreed to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) with the UK, without securing a viable market access for Canadian beef, Discover Airdrie reported.

While details of the agreement remain unclear, the CCA has noted that other CPTPP members have secured unlimited beef access in their bilateral agreements with the UK, but such an arrangement is not available to Canada.

Currently, Canada-UK beef trade is governed by the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which was established between Canada and the European Union (EU) in 2017.

After the UK left the EU, a temporary agreement was reached to continue applying the CETA provisions to Canada-UK trade until a permanent agreement could be established.

According to the CCA, British beef has unlimited access to Canada at a 0% tariff, while Canadian beef has access to the UK at a 0% tariff rate quota (TRQ) limit of 2708 tonnes fresh and 1161 tonnes frozen annually.

In 2021, the UK exported 2733 tonnes of beef worth CND 16.3 million (~US$12.1 million; CND 1 = US$0.74) to Canada, and in 2022, this figure rose to 4414 tonnes worth CND 33.2 million (~US$24.7 million). Canada exported 657 tonnes of beef valued at CND 7.6 million (~US$5.6 million) to the UK in 2021 and none in 2022.

The CCA has raised concerns about this unequal access and has urged the Canadian government to address the issue in ongoing trade negotiations.

-      Discover Airdrie