ASPROCER – the Chilean producer association - had requested an import surcharge of 14.3 per cent on imported frozen pork. This threat to Canadian exports had been neutralized and removed.

Chile has become an important growing market for Canada which is the second largest foreign supplier of frozen pork in that market. From January to August 2013, Canadian exports reached more than 7,500 tonnes valued at over CDN $17 million. Exports in 2013 will be considerably higher than 2010 which at 6,603 tonnes for full year 2010 was a good year for Canadian exporters.

CPC and CMC participated in the safeguard investigation conducted by Chile’s National Commission to Investigate the Existence of Distortions in the Price of Imported Merchandise and made submissions about the inconsistency of the ASPROCER petition with WTO rules and the absence of the evidence of serious injury required to support an affirmative finding.

CPC and CMC are pleased with the thorough and objective manner in which the Commission conducted its inquiry and analysis.

Canada and Chile have benefited from a Free Trade Agreement that entered into force in 1997 and was updated earlier this year. Canada’s ability to grow and diversify its pork exports has been enhanced by the Canada-Chile FTA.

CPC and CMC roles include advocacy to maintain and expand Canadian pork exports around the world. The outcome in Chile is one example of their efforts to assist the Canadian pork industry maintain its hard won market access.