Trade, trade and more trade: it’s been a favourite cornerstone in the Conservative political agenda for years.
Now, with an election looming, the Conservatives have intensified their international push for new market access, again.
Trade has quietly dominated the international political agenda for most of November.
Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz, whose meeting schedule would leave the Energizer Bunny out of breath, was en route to China in early November, alongside prime minister Stephen Harper, international trade minister Ed Fast and others. The trip marked Ritz’s 11th visit to China since being named agriculture minister in 2007.
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The lure of China is understandable. After all, half a million Canadian jobs can be directly tied to trade relations between the two countries, while China consistently ranks as one of Canada’s top five export destinations. It is also Canada’s second largest trading partner.
China represents a lucrative market for Canadian agriculture, particularly for pork, canola products, beef, pulses, wheat and dairy genetics. The Chinese are also eager to increase their consumption of cherries with both countries signing a final agreement granting access for British Columbia cherries. A similar agreement is in the works for blueberries.
However, China wasn’t the only country Canada was interested in courting this month.
After a quick return trip to Ottawa to mark Remembrance Day, the prime minister was back on a plane, this time headed to New Zealand before making his way to Australia for the highly anticipated G20 meetings.
Canada and New Zealand share a friendly political relationship, but they don’t see eye to eye on supply management. Canada wants to keep it, while the Kiwis would like to see a commitment to eventually get rid of it.
The New Zealanders have been adamant they would support a phase-out toward an open market system, given their own past experiences. New Zealand used to operate under a supply managed dairy system, but abandoned the practice after the first oil shock in 1979. The move left farmers in that country reeling for years before regaining their feet.
The stalled Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations are expected to gain steam now that the U.S. midterm elections are over and the Republicans have gained control of the Senate.
It could increase international pressure on Canada, which has been quietly chastised in the past by international counterparts for its stance on supply management.
Not to be left out, Fast headed to Tokyo Nov. 17 to resume talks with the Japanese. With the future of the TPP negotiations still riding on American actions, the bilateral talks have been touted by some as a fall-back plan for Canadian interests should TPP fail.
The trade minister’s trip is also a chance for Canadian officials to continue mending fences with the Japanese, whose feathers were severely ruffled after last winter’s transportation crisis delayed grain shipments for weeks.
As for Russia, well, Canadian pork producers hoping to gain some kind access to the formerly lucrative market shouldn’t hold their breath. Russian officials announced Nov. 14 it was temporarily banning Canadian pork because of re-emerging concerns over the growth promotant ractopamine.
Canada remains under earlier Russian sanctions, imposed in August, which saw an immediate ban of all agricultural imports of beef, pork, fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish, cheese, milk and dairy products from the United States, the European Union, Canada, the Kingdom of Norway, and Australia.
The broad stroke sanctions, the toughest food restrictions to be imposed since the Soviet Union, were triggered after Russian actions in Ukraine prompted sharp condemnation from western countries.
That condemnation continues.
At a private function for G20 members in Brisbane Nov. 15, Harper finally got a chance to speak his mind on the Russian situation. He reportedly told president Vladmir Putin to “get out of Ukraine” during a handshake, the prime minister’s spokesperson, Jason MacDonald, confirmed. Putin, meanwhile, apparently responded with, “that’s impossible because we are not there.”
Canada’s relationship with Russia is clearly still frosty and unlikely to thaw on the trade front anytime soon.
