(Ottawa, ON) – The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), finalized late last night, is an important step in maintaining competitiveness and continuing to grow the meat industry in Canada.
The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) is pleased to see the hard work of the Canadian government over the past year come to fruition in an agreement. It was a difficult road with many obstacles, and we applaud the work and tenacity of Minister Freeland and her team for completing this deal.
The importance of this deal to the meat industry cannot be understated, “The North American meat industry is fully integrated, and having uninterrupted access across the three countries is critical”, says David Colwell, Chairman of the Board for CMC. “The ability of Canadian meat companies to compete on a global scale depends on their ability to also maintain and grow the North American market”.
The government’s recognition of the importance of this deal, that it is beyond any single sector, was an important factor in completing this agreement. “Having such a talented agriculture negotiating team certainly helped relay the message from our sector. Their regular communication with CMC and dedication throughout this challenging process is greatly appreciated” adds Chris White, President and CEO of CMC.
CMC looks forward to continuing to work with our trilateral North American partners on growing the meat industry and the Canadian economy as a result.
About Canadian Meat Council:
For nearly a century, the CMC has represented Canada’s federally registered meat packers, meat processors and equipment suppliers. CMC provides evidence-based advocacy on behalf of its members and works to secure and improve Canada's global meat competitiveness and, promote a balanced diet, which includes high-quality and nutritious Canadian meat. The Canadian red meat industry represents over 20 Billion dollars to the Canadian economy and supports 288,000 jobs across Canada.
Source: Canadian Meat Council
