International Trade

The House of Commons International Trade Committee met to study Bill C-13, which implements the United Kingdom's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu appeared, alongside officials Mary-Catherine Speirs (Director General, Trade Negotiations Bureau, Global Affairs Canada), Matthew Smith (Chief Agriculture Negotiator, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada), and Evan Lewis (Senior Director, Market Access Secretariat, Canadian Food Inspection Agency).

Minister Sidhu argued that Bill C-13 strengthens a key partnership and builds on the existing Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement, which provides 99% tariff-free access. He emphasized the need to move quickly on trade diversification given economic uncertainty from the United States, and highlighted that the CPTPP provides mechanisms to resolve outstanding non-tariff barriers with the UK on issues like beef and pork. He noted that the CPTPP has already boosted Canadian exports to member countries by over 50% since 2018, and that the government is focused on opening new markets, including through recent agreements with Indonesia and Ecuador, and ongoing work with ASEAN, India, and Mercosur.

Mary-Catherine Speirs confirmed that the Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement will continue to exist alongside the CPTPP after the UK's accession. She stated that the CPTPP provides additional opportunities through more liberal rules of origin and expanded services trade, and that the government supports the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism as part of the CPTPP's investment chapter, noting that Canadian investors have recovered $4.3 billion through ISDS while Canada has paid $208 million in damages in lost cases. She declined to commit to providing the committee with submissions received from industry or Canadians regarding the UK's accession, saying she would follow up internally on that request.

Matthew Smith acknowledged that Canadian beef and pork producers face significant non-tariff barriers in the UK, including high costs and regulatory differences, and that the UK has been unwilling to align its rules with Canada's evidence-based standards. He said these issues are raised at every opportunity with UK counterparts, and that both the Trade Continuity Agreement and the CPTPP provide structures to continue those discussions. He noted that the UK's policies make it a less attractive market for Canadian producers compared to other CPTPP partners.

Evan Lewis confirmed that his team at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is actively working with the UK on specific barriers, including carcass washes for beef and trichinella for pork, through bilateral committees under the Trade Continuity Agreement and the CPTPP. He stated that the timeline for resolution depends on the nature of each issue, noting that on carcass washes, the next steps are with industry to seek UK approval.

The committee agreed to a deadline of Tuesday, February 3, at 9 a.m. for proposed amendments to Bill C-13, with clause-by-clause study scheduled for February 5. Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay raised concerns about the tight timeline between the final witness testimony and the amendment deadline, and asked that the Office of the Law Clerk be informed that many proposals may be submitted.