​​​​​A new trade agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico was signed today in Buenos Aires.  When ratified by all three countries, it will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA), which represents Canada's $58 billion agri-food export industry, has been closely following the negotiations since they got underway in mid-2017, sending representatives to all of the rounds to engage with stakeholders from the other NAFTA countries and being available to advise on the critical importance to its members of maintaining conditions of open trade within North America.

Canada's agri-food exports to the United States exceeded $30 billion in 2017 and to Mexico, almost two billion dollars.

Under the new agreement, the tariff-free access for our members' exports which exists under NAFTA will be retained as will other important provisions of NAFTA, such as the important mechanism for dispute settlement known as Chapter 19.

CAFTA – representing the export interests of the beef, pork, meat, grains, cereals, pulses, soybean and canola sectors as well as the sugar, malt, and processed food industries – looks forward to its participation in the processes for the ratification and implementation of the new accord.