Promote Canadian agricultural interests during trade negotiations.

What success looks like

Achieve the target of $75 billion annually in agri-food exports, and create more middle class jobs and higher incomes for the many rural and urban Canadians employed in the agri-food sector.

Government's narrative on progress

The government has made agriculture and agri-food trade a priority in the trade expansion strategy. The Prime Minister and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, International Trade Diversification and Agriculture and Agri-Food have completed trade missions to Mexico, China, Japan, India, South Korea, the European Union and the United States promoting agri-food. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) entered into force on December 30, 2018 which will improve market access for Canadian agriculture exports to key markets in the Asia-Pacific. The government also introduced the bill to modernize the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA) in Parliament on October 23, 2018, and signed the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) on November 30, 2018. The government has taken every effort to minimize the impact on the supply-managed sectors, but recognizes that the CUSMA may result in production declines in the short term for some producers. The government is committed to full and fair compensation for losses incurred as a result of the agreement. Budget 2019 proposes up to $3.9 billion in support for supply-managed farmers to help address impacts of CETA and CPTPP. Support will be offered to sustain the incomes of eligible dairy, poultry, and egg farmers, by making available up to $2.4 billion. Of this amount, $250 million has already been provided to support dairy farmers as a result of CETA. Assistance will also be offered to protect the value of investments made by farmers in supply-managed sectors, through a Quota Value Guarantee Program that will protect against reduction in quota value when the quota is sold. The government is implementing the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement that expands opportunities for Canadian agri-food products with 94% of EU agricultural tariff lines now duty free. Canada has also signed a memorandum of understanding with China on canola and negotiated new market access in China for Canadian beef and pork exporters. Canada will continue to work to resolve regulatory, quota and tariff issues with India to ensure long-term access to the Indian market for Canadian pulse exports (e.g., peas, chickpeas, beans and lentils). The government will continue to strongly defend the interests of its agricultural industries, including supply management, with all trading partners, for example, with Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru in the negotiation of a Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Pacific Alliance, as well as with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay in the negotiation of a Free Trade Agreement between Canada and MERCOSUR and with India in the negotiation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Canadian exports of agriculture, agri-food, fish and seafood to all countries in 2017 rose to $64.6 billion, a $2-billion increase from 2016 exports. To better engage with international standard-setting bodies and support efforts to meet the government's goal of growing Canada's agri-food exports to $75 billion per year by 2025, the government proposes to invest an additional $25 million over the next five years to enhance federal capacity to address situations where Canadian agricultural producers may be restricted from selling goods in international markets.

Note: this is the government's own description, not an independent assessment.