Argentina resumes beef exports to Canada

After fifteen years, the first Argentine beef shipment arrived in Montreal this month for a restaurant chain specialized in Argentine cuisine, following the reopening of the Canadian market in December 2015.

The year before the market closed in 2001, Argentina had exported 26,000 tonnes of chilled and frozen beef to Canada. Currently, Canada imports a total of 250,000 tonnes per year, which leaves a margin for Argentina to recover an important share. The United States, Australia, New Zealand and Uruguay are the main exporters to Canada.

The market reopening was the result of years of diplomatic negotiations and collective work by the respective health services. A 2015 decision by a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel was key for such reopening, as it found in favour of Argentina on the claim against United States measures banning the entry of Argentine fresh (chilled or frozen) beef into that country. The WTO recognized that said measures lacked scientific justification, were not based on a risk assessment, arbitrarily and unjustifiably discriminated between countries where identical or similar conditions prevail, and were more restrictive than required. This decision cleared up any doubts and led to a reconsideration of similar measures in other countries, such as Canada.

As a result, the stringent health controls applied in Argentina have enabled access by Argentine products to the strict Canadian market.

Press release No. 348/16.

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