Canadian seafood exporters welcome UK trade deal

Seafood leaders in Canada have this week welcomed the signing of a temporary free trade deal with the UK.
The agreement means there will be no tariffs on farmed or wild caught fish exported to Britain next year.
Tariffs on Canadian seafood to the European Union were abolished earlier this year under the Canada-Europe Trade Agreement (CETA).
Paul Lansbergen, president of the Fisheries Council of Canada, said: “It cements the access that we\’ve currently enjoyed under CETA. The UK is our fifth largest single country export destination, so it is important for our sector and we\’re pleased that this transitional deal was reached.”
Canadian seafood exports to the UK total more than CAN $130 million a year (£74.9 million). There are also strong seafood business links between the two countries.
Failure to come to a deal with the UK would probably cost the industry at least $11 million (£6.4 million) more each year.
The Fisheries Council of Canada, which represents a wide spectrum of producers and processors in the industry, said the top seafood exports to the UK are salmon (35 per cent), shrimps and prawns (26 per cent), lobsters (25 per cent), and scallops (five per cent).
Mary Ng, minister at Canada’s Office of International Trade told CBC News that the deal maintains “a competitive edge and preferential access to the UK market” for Atlantic Canadian seafood companies.
The two countries hope to reach a permanent deal next year.