Deal could help local fishermen

As International Trade Committee Chair, I am happy to inform you that on Sept. 21, the Canada-Europe Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) will come into provisional application.

This means that as of now almost 98 per cent of tariff lines on Canadian exports to Europe will be reduced to zero.

Our Trade committee completed this study last year. We met with hundreds of Canadian and European stakeholders to best identify the opportunities and risks CETA holds for Canada, before presenting the finalized report to the Ministers of International Trade and Foreign Affairs.

CETA will have huge opportunity our fishing industry here in Cape Breton. For example, current European Union tariffs for fish and seafood reach 25 per cent. Now, almost 96 per cent of fish and seafood tariffs exported to the EU will be immediately eliminated and the remaining tariffs will be phased out over a three, five or seven-year period.

The EU is already Nova Scotia’s second-largest export destination and second-largest trading partner. Our exports from NS to the EU in 2015 reached $523.6 million with fishing and fish products holding $190 million of that share. Additionally, there will be great opportunity in agriculture, specifically the beef and horticulture sectors.

As much opportunity as there is with CETA, we need to continue to work on trade relations with our biggest trading partner – the United States. Our committee has already travelled to the U.S. to discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the Senate, Members of Congress, government officials and stakeholders, and our meetings will continue this parliamentary session.

I am proud of the work our committee is doing. We work in a nonpartisan manner and do what’s best for all Canadians. Our region certainly will see great opportunity from these agreements.

If you own a business and are interested in learning more about CETA, visit: www.international.gc.ca/CETA” Mark Eyking, M.P. Sydney – Victoria