| | Alberta Agriculture and Forestry organized one of its largest trade missions into the European Union (EU), as interest in the European market continues to grow among Alberta food companies.
The mission, which saw visits to the Netherlands and France, took place from October 15 to 25, 2018 and highlighted Alberta as a preferred supplier of agri-food products while enhancing export opportunities and potential sales growth of Alberta food products in Europe.
The Netherlands program included meetings with Dutch importers, a market intelligence session and tours of stores in the Hague/Rotterdam/Amsterdam area. Seven Alberta companies participated in the Netherlands program including Brant Lake Wagyu, Canada Beef, Canadian Rangeland Bison & Elk, Canyon Creek Food Company, Kinnikinnick Foods, Noble Premium Bison and Sunny Boy Foods.
“The mission was a great opportunity for Alberta companies to meet Dutch buyers, gain further understanding of the EU market distribution channels (both retail and foodservice) and learn about EU’s regulatory and labelling requirements,” says Dusan Rnjak, Trade and Relations Officer with Agriculture and Forestry. “Companies met with Dutch importers/distributors/wholesalers to present their products and get immediate feedback. We are glad to hear about interest in Alberta products which goes beyond beef and bison meat,” says Rnjak.
The Netherlands is a major transportation/distribution center whose importance as a new gateway into Europe will increase following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU in March of 2019.
Following the successful conclusion of the Netherlands program, the delegation attended SIAL Paris, the world’s largest agri-food trade show, where Alberta organized a walking program, meetings with EU trade commissioners and buyers as well as store tours. Byblos Bakery, JBS Canada and La Vita Commodities joined the delegation in Paris.
More and more Alberta companies are exploring opportunities in Europe since the ratification of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a free-trade agreement between Canada and the EU. CETA provides Canada with preferential market access to the EU market of more than 500 million consumers while eliminating 94% of European import tariffs on agricultural products.
To learn more about opportunities in the EU or this mission, contact Dusan Rnjak at 780-638-3851.
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