A full-scale trade deal between Canada and China is possible even as Canada remains open to striking smaller sector-by-sector agreements, says International Trade Minister of Canada Jim Carr.
Speaking in Beijing Monday (Nov. 12) after bilateral economic meetings, Carr said China is interested in a wide range of Canadian products across many different sectors.
But while Canada is in talks with China on a number of fronts, he insisted those efforts don’t preclude a wide-ranging trade agreement between the two countries.
“It’s not one or the other,” he said. “These are trade conversations over a period of time. Trade is not an event and we’re having a continuous dialogue with our Chinese counterparts about a whole variety of products.”
Last week, Treasury Board President of Canada Scott Brison told the Globe and Mail the best way to move forward quickly with China on trade would be to focus on opportunities for immediate gains in areas such as food and agriculture.
And indeed Canada has sector-by-sector targets, including an aim to double Canadian agricultural exports to China to $75 billion by 2025, Carr said. “We’re well on our way to meeting those goals,” he said.
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