A number of Canadian farm groups are urging the federal government to advance the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) next week during meetings to be held in Vietnam.

The 11 country members are meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Week, November 6-11.

“The canola industry is urging the federal government to advance the TPP during these discussions,” says Jim Everson, President of the Canola Council of Canada (CCC). “Implementing the TPP will increase value-added processing in Canada, maintain existing markets and ensure that Canada remains competitive to other oilseed producing countries.”

The CCC notes that while the United States has decided not to proceed with TPP negotiations, implementing an agreement with the remaining 11 countries would provide Canadian canola a competitive advantage over competing oilseed products entering TPP countries, such as U.S. soybean oil into Japan.

The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) is also urging the federal government to assume leadership in striking a free trade deal with Asia-Pacific nations.

Rick Bergmann - File Photo

“We urge the Government of Canada to take a leadership role in the TPP-11 negotiations with the intention of completing a deal in the very near term” said Rick Bergmann, Chair of the Canadian Pork Council. “Canada’s pork producers request that the Government of Canada work to ensure a TPP-11 agreement is implemented without jeopardizing the negotiated outcomes on market access that were agreed to in the original TPP agreement."

The group adds that the status quo is not an option, and that if a free trade agreement with Asia-Pacific nations is not implemented, Canada will face ongoing erosion of its ability to compete in Japan and other rapidly growing Asian markets.

Valued at $3.8 billion, exports represented nearly 70% of Canadian pork production in 2016.