With CWB president Ian White in tow, Canadian agriculture minister Gerry Ritz was in Japan last week to promote a trade agreement, including wheat now that Canada is operating without a CWB monopoly.
He said last week that along with White and Canadian grain industry representatives, he met with Japanese millers to assure them that changes to the CWB and the Canadian Grain Commission will not affect the quality and reliability of Canadian shipments.
“We took the opportunity with our grain industry to meet with Japanese millers to underline Canada’s continued commitment to world class grain quality,” said Ritz in a March 6 callback news conference from Tokyo. “The Japanese industry assured us that the Canadian system continues to serve them well under the new marketing freedom system.”
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Grain Growers of Canada executive director Richard Phillips was with Ritz on the trade mission and issued a statement arguing that domestic grain sector reforms instigated by the government and supported by CGG are not a problem in one of Canada’s largest markets.
“The transition at the CWB has not caused issues for them and they have been pleased with the quality of both CWB and private sector wheat deliveries,” Phillips said in a statement from Tokyo.
Ritz spent five days in Japan accompanied by representatives of cattle, hog, grain and oilseed sectors.
Last year, Japan’s $4.2 billion in Canadian food imports made it one of Canada’s major export markets. It included close to $1.5 billion in canola imports, although higher tariffs mean it mainly is a market for unprocessed seed that is processed in Japanese plants.
Japan also recently opened its market for Canadian beef from animals under 30 months, expanding an earlier restriction to beef from cattle under 21 months.
