Minister MacAulay Wraps Up Successful Asia Tour

Minister Lawrence MacAulay travelled to Vietnam, Japan and South Korea from October 27 to November 4, 2023. Throughout the visit, the Minister underscored his support for agricultural stakeholders participating in the Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan, as well as in Vietnam and South Korea.

In Seoul, Minister MacAulay announced more than $23 million in funding for agricultural industry stakeholders under the AgriMarketing Program. The recipients are: the Canola Council of Canada, Pulse Canada Association, Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre, Canadian Meat Council, Canada Beef, The Prairie Oat Growers Association, Canadian Pork International and Canadian Pacific Kazunoko Association.

The AgriMarketing Program

• The AgriMarketing Program is a $129.97 million program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP).
• The program supports national agricultural sectors to increase and diversify exports to international markets and seize domestic market opportunities. The program helps grow the economy by increasing and diversifying Canadian exports of agriculture, agri-food, agri-based products, including fish and seafood, by increasing the visibility of Canadian products and increasing the capacity of exporting producers to identify and seize market development opportunities in targeted markets.
• The Sustainable CAP is a $3.5-billion, 5-year agreement (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2028), between the federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. The agreement includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and $2.5 billion in cost-shared programs and activities funded by federal, provincial and territorial governments.

Canada Brand

• The Canada Brand provides Canadian exporters with a marketing advantage and a stronger international presence by helping them leverage Canada's positive reputation around the world.
• Canada Brand helps global consumers recognize Canadian food and beverage products and showcases the diverse range of products from our varied landscape from coast to coast to coast.
• Export-ready companies can sign-up for free for the Canada Brand program to gain access to the revamped marketing toolbox, optimized for today's digital-first business environment.

Canada-Vietnam agriculture and food trade

• Vietnam became Canada's 19th largest market globally and ninth largest in the Indo-Pacific region in 2022.
• Canada exported CA$416.2 million in agriculture and food products to Vietnam in 2022, which expanded by 4.8% annually between 2018 and 2022 (or 20.8% in total).

Canada-Japan agriculture and food trade

• Canada is an important agriculture and food supplier for Japan and Japan's sixth largest supplier of imported agriculture and food products in 2022.
• Japan is the third-largest market for Canadian agri-food and seafood products and offers vast opportunities to further increase the volume and diversity of our agriculture and food exports.
• Canada and Japan are both parties to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which entered into force on December 30, 2018. Since then, Canadian agriculture and food exports to Japan increased by 4.2% every year until 2022 (17.8% in total).

Canada-South Korea agriculture and food trade

• South Korea is an important market for Canada's agriculture and food sector.
• It is home to Canada's first bilateral free trade agreement in the Indo-Pacific.
• Since the entry into force of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA) in 2015, Canadian agriculture and food exports to South Korea increased by 10.7% annually (or 104.4% in total value) until 2022.
• This growth is notable since Canada's agriculture and food exports to South Korea only expanded by 3.3% annually (or 25.7% in total value) during the eight-year period prior to the ratification of the CKFTA (2008-2015).