EU Export Certification
Current exports to Europe are fairly small, but the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement currently being negotiated may open up more export opportunities for the Canadian pork industry. There are several large challenges for export to Europe. One being the high tariffs on Europe’s imported pork, the range being from $0.36 to $0.63/kg. Also, the European market tends to take only specific cuts, resulting in wasted meat. Finally, the use of hormones in feed is banned in Europe, which is problematic since the use of Paylean product in feed is common in Canada. Despite these challenges, the opportunities are huge because pork can sell for twice as much as in Canada. The small amount imported means Canada should try to distinguish itself from US imports in Europe. Ways to do this would be to cater to the specific finishing and processing wishes of the customers, work directly with processors in Europe, and provide a consistently high-quality product.