VANCOUVER — "The TPP trade agreement will help our processor members fulfil their potential and realize new business opportunities," says Chris Sporer, Executive Director of the Seafood Producers Association of British Columbia, the largest organization of wild seafood processing companies on Canada's Pacific coast.
Canada's Pacific wild seafood industry provides a safe, secure and nutritious food source for Canada and the world. Seafood is British Columbia's most valuable agrifood food export commodity – about $1 billion per year and wild seafood accounts for almost two thirds of that export value. Japan is BC's most important seafood market and tariffs on BC seafood currently range from 3.5 to11%, while Vietnam applies tariffs of up to 34%, Malaysia of up to 15% and New Zealand of up to 5%.
"TPP will not only enhance our industry's access to key high value and growing Pacific seafood markets", notes Sporer, "it will also help ensure a continued level playing field with our main competitors for these markets."
Source: Seafood Producers Association of British Columbia
