The Canadian Cattle Association says it’s disappointed but not surprised by the UK’s decision to pause talks on its free trade deal with Canada.
“CCA has been following the bilateral negotiations closely and has been concerned at the lack of ambition and cooperation from the UK in these negotiations,” said Nathan Phinney, the CCA’s president, in a news release late yesterday.
Yesterday, Canadian officials said the UK had suspended talks on a free trade deal with Canada amid unhappiness on both sides about the lack of access to agricultural markets. The talks, which started in March 2022, are among a number of negotiations Britain has launched around the world in the wake of its decision to leave the European Union, which excluded it from existing EU free trade deals.
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“The Canadian beef industry is a strong advocate of free and open trade. To avoid getting a bad trade deal for Canadians, we need trade partners that want to trade fairly and not use rules and regulations to their own advantage,” Phinney added.
The CCA said the beef industry will continue to oppose adding the UK into the Comprehensive and Progressive Transpacific Partnership (CPTPP) “until the fundamental obstacles to export Canadian beef to the UK are fully addressed.”
Canada and other nations welcomed Britain into the CPTPP in July. In response, the Canadian Meat Council (CMA), the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) and the Canadian Pork Council issued a joint statement “strongly opposing” the move.
“The U.K. does not accept Canada’s food safety and animal health systems and measures, and those non-tariff barriers limit our access to the U.K. market,” the three groups said.
“The UK currently has unlimited access for British beef exports to Canada while Canadian beef producers are unable to export into the UK market,” the CCA said in yesterday’s release.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, a British government spokesperson said “we reserve the right to pause negotiations with any country if progress is not being made”.
Before Britain left the EU trading sphere at the end of 2020, Canada rolled over existing trade arrangements to ensure free trade could continue. One particular arrangement dealing with cheese access has now expired.
“Since the UK has not shown willingness to resolve this market access issue, it is in Canada’s best interest to focus our efforts at different trade negotiations,” the CCA said. “Canadian beef producers would also encourage the Government of Canada to re-examine the UK’s current beef access to Canada in both the Trade Continuity Agreement (TCA) and the CPTPP to ensure fairness and equitable access.
–With files from Reuters
