The plant purchased 220,000 tons of Canadian canola seed last year. Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lyle Vanclief expressed confidence during a recent trade mission to Japan that Canadian trade with Japan will grow, despite the current downturn in that country's economy. Mr. Vanclief spent five days in Japan's Kansai Region and Tokyo, meeting with Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shoichi Nakagawa and Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Takumi Nemoto, as well as buyers of Canadian agriculture and food products. He also met with representatives of Japanese subsidiaries of Canadian food companies, toured Canadian exhibits at Foodex '99, the largest food trade fair in Asia, and spoke to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan. Japanese buyers and government officials alike recognize that Canadian suppliers provide quality products that are safe and well-suited to the tastes of the Japanese consumer.
Japan is Canada's second-largest market for agriculture and food products after the United States.
While canola, bulk grains and pork represent the largest share of exports to Japan, exports of processed foods continue to grow. Japan is the largest net importer of food in the world, and Canada is its fourth largest supplier after the United States, China and Australia. Competition for the Japanese market is strong among the world's food exporting nations, noted Mr. Vanclief, adding it is important to continually reinforce Canada's reputation as a world leader in food safety and as a reliable supplier. In a meeting with Minister Nakagawa, Mr. Vanclief underlined the strong trading relationship between the two countries, but pressed for speedy resolution on market access for greenhouse tomato varieties and dairy genetics from Canada. The two ministers also discussed the benefits of biotechnology in protecting the environment and in increasing food production, while recognizing the need for more consumer education.