Feds announce new export opportunities

Ottawa – The federal government has reached a new agreement on an export certificate with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

For Canadian exporters of live cattle this means they will benefit from access to the UAE market, which could provide up to $40 million in sales.

The announcement will also help to boost the UAE’s food security, reports GulfNews.com. And help to repair relations between the two countries, which were damaged over the air traffic row that prompted the UAE to cancel the visa upon arrival privilege granted to Canadian citizens.

Market re-opens

AlbertaFarmExpress.ca says that the agreement reopens a market that has been closed since a case of BSE was discovered in Canada in 2003.

The announcement will instantly provide new export opportunities for Canadian producers, says the federal government. It will also help Canada regain access to other key markets in the region.

The UAE is part of a regional trading block called the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The GCC is a priority market under Canada’s Global Commerce Strategy.

The announcement is symbolic of Canada’s efforts to regain access to the entire GCC, which represents the fifth-largest export destination for Canadian agri-food products. Canadian agri-food exports to the GCC surpassed $835 million in 2010.