Gerry Ritz’s talks with Central American agriculture officials did not swing the trade doors wide open but the discussions did remind those countries that Canada wants to trade.
Canada’s minister of agriculture, joined by representatives from the Canada Beef Export Federation, Canada Pork International, Canadian Beef Breeds Council, Canola Council of Canada and Canadian Livestock Genetics Association, toured Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala and the United States.
Mexico is Canada’s fourth largest trading partner in agriculture products and Ritz announced a $5 million investment to raise Mexican consumer awareness of Canadian food products.
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“These dollars will support market research, advertising, store features and other promotional activities that bolster the work being done by Canadian industry to sell their product,” he told reporters in a conference call from Guatemala City Jan. 21.
Canadian agriculture exports to Mexico totalled $1.6 billion in 2008 and Ritz hopes to see more, especially if the two countries can agree on rules for accepting beef from cattle older than 30 months.
While talking with agriculture secretary Francisco Mayorga and secretary of economy Gerardo Ruiz Mateos, the ministers also agreed to work on opposing the U.S. country-of-origin labelling law, which is before a World Trade Organization panel. In Colombia, Ritz assured his counterparts that Canada wants the free trade agreement to pass in the next session of parliament.
The agreement will provide preferential access to the Colombian market for Canadian agriculture and non-agriculture products.
In 2008, Colombia imported $123 million in Canadian wheat, durum and barley sales and $72 million of pulse and specialty crops.
An agreement would push down tariffs. The average tariff on imported products to Colombia is 17 percent but pulses are at 60 percent while pork and wheat duties can be set at more than 100 percent.
Colombia is also reopening its $6 million market to Canadian beef where an 80 percent tariff would eventually be removed. In addition, the two countries agreed to reopen the Colombian market to Canadian breeding stock and genetics especially for cattle, goat and sheep imports.
The Canadian Beef Breeds Council and the Canadian Livestock Genetics Association estimated increased exports of breeding stock and genetics could be worth $1 million.
Guatemala is also being asked for full beef market access and duty free access on other agricultural products. In 2008, Guatemala imported $32 million of Canadian agriculture products.
