Canada-US market integration impact on Cananda-EU pig trade

Canadian product denomination, intellectual property rights protection and other agricultural issues delaying Canadian access to EU pig and beef markets.

Canada-EU trade talks are being hampered by Canada’s economic integration with the US. Maurizio Cellini, with the EU delegation, commented that the rules on origin have not been worked out, and this has been due to confusion what and when a product from Canada qualifies as Canadian.

Canada’s economic integration with the US equates to many Canadian products having a high US component. A Canadian product denomination makes the difference between qualifying for export and what duty the product is subject to.

Cellini said offers on goods, public procurement and services, intellectual property rights protection, and investment protection are also still unsolved.

Canada was the main instigator behind the talks, which were launched in 2009, with the aim of reaching a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

Talks have also been issue to several visa restrictions Canada has issued for several EU member states, issues that only underscore the troubles with obtaining consensus in the EU, but Cellini commented that while consensus was the aim, unanimity was not a stumbling block for the deal to go through.

Source: Embassy