Harper Government Celebrates Canada’s Biggest Trade Deal Ever

The Canada-EU trade agreement is a big win for workers and businesses across British Columbia

December 13, 2013 – Vancouver, British Columbia – Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada

The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Industry and minister Responsible for British Columbia, and the Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, today held an event in Vancouver to celebrate the biggest trade accomplishment in Canadian history. The pact with the European Union, announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso in October, is Canada’s most ambitious and comprehensive trade initiative to date and will generate significant benefits for workers and families in key economic sectors covering every region of Canada.

Ministers Moore and Fast were joined by key B.C. stakeholders, including Greg D’Avignon, President and CEO of the Business Council of British Columbia, and other business and industry leaders.

The Canada-EU trade agreement will generate substantial gains across all key economic sectors covering every region of Canada. In fact, Canada will be one of the only developed countries to have preferential access to the world’s two largest markets: the European Union and the United States.

Quick facts

The EU is the world’s largest integrated economy, with more than 500 million consumers and a GDP of $17 trillion.
The EU is B.C.’s fourth-largest export destination and trading partner.
The Canada-EU trade agreement will eliminate tariffs on key B.C. exports, such as metal and mineral products, forest products, agriculture and agri-food products, as well as fish and seafood.

Quotes

“The Canada-EU trade agreement is Canada’s most ambitious trade initiative and among the most comprehensive the world has ever seen. Here in B.C., our economy stands to benefit significantly from preferred access to the EU market, the largest and most lucrative in the world.”

James Moore, Minister of Industry

“The scope of this historic pact is unprecedented and sets the new standard to which all other trading nations will aspire. When the agreement comes into force, Canada will become the only fully developed country to have preferential access to the world’s two largest economies, namely the European Union and the United States.

“Access to more than 800 million consumers in these two markets will provide Canadian businesses with an extraordinary once-in-a-generation opportunity to increase exports and create new jobs and opportunities by leveraging our North American production platform to its maximum.”

Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade