Canada’s red meat industry is preparing to open an advocacy office in Beijing, with the goal of increasing the presence of Canadian pork and beef in the Chinese market.
The Canadian Meat Advocacy Office will be a collaboration between the Canadian Meat Council, Canadian Pork Council, and Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
Staff at the office, which have yet to be hired, will work on strengthening relationships with the red meat industry in China, government agencies, and Chinese consumers, the groups say.
“The Canadian pork and beef industries have a long-standing partnership with and commitment to the Chinese market. The creation of this office is a dynamic step in ensuring that the two countries’ collaboration continues to grow,” they say, in a statement issued Nov. 18.
“The chance to demonstrate our commitment to such an important market is an opportunity that we are very excited about,” says David Typer, chair of the Canadian Meat Advocacy Board, who’s also vice-president of Maple Leaf Foods.
Typer says operations at the Beijing office will be launched when the hiring process is complete.
The groups say planning for the office has been ongoing for several years between meat industry representatives, the Canada China Business Council, and the Canadian government.
The office is being supported by federal government funding of up to $223,850 over two years through the AgriMarketing program.
The announcement of the office by the three groups comes on the heels of Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay making a quiet visit to Beijing last week.
After not announcing the trip, the government confirmed on Nov. 19 that MacAulay visited China to work on mitigating possible Chinese retaliation against Canadian canola exports as a result of the Canadian government’s new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and batteries. The minister also met with Canadian business leaders, including Chris White, president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council and Canada Pork and Stephen Heckbert, executive director of the Canadian Pork Council, in Beijing.
Editor’s note: This story was updated Nov. 19 with new details about MacAulay’s trip to China.
