Canadian beef restrictions are being lifted in Japan – which is good news for Albertan producers.
The Canadian federal government says Japan is removing barriers put up in 2003 to allow for the sale of beef patties. The barriers were put up after a case of Mad Cow disease – bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) – was discovered in the province.
“Our government will always stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our ranchers and processors who export the finest and most sustainable products around the world,” said federal Minister of Agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau in a statement.
“This is another big step in our trade relationship with Japan, a trusted partner in the Indo-Pacific.”
The Canada-Alberta BSE Surveillance Program was instrumental in Japan deciding to remove restrictions on the sale of Canadian beef.
In 2022, the Japanese market for Canadian beef and beef products had an estimated value of $518 million. Japan is Canada’s third largest market for agriculture and food, and Statistics Canada reports beef exports to all countries in 2022 was over $4.6 billion.
Japan’s 38.5 per cent tariff on beef imports – including ground beef patties and other primary processed products – will decrease to 23.35 per cent on April 1, 2023. By 2033, it will go down to nine per cent. Tarrifs on other processed beef products will be reduced even more and eliminated altogether in some cases.
Alberta is Canada’s largest beef producing province.
“Cattle producers are grateful for the removal of trade barriers for processed beef in Japan, our second-largest export market for beef,” said President of the Canadian Cattle Association Nathan Phinney.
“Our industry will continue to support global food security by providing some of the most sustainable and highest quality beef in the world. We look forward to continuing to work with the Government of Canada to further remove remaining trade barriers and expanding our trade capacity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Red Deer-North constituents with questions, concerns or comments can reach out to the local constituency office. They can do so via the form on the contact page or by phoning (403) 342–2263.