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Big increase in beef trade between Canada and the European Union in 2018

Mar 20, 2019 | 3:29 PM

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada numbers show a big increase in beef trade last year between Canada and the European Union.

Last year Canada exported 1,059 metric tonnes of beef to the E-U valued at 15.5 million dollars.

That is a 113 per cent increase in volume and 98 per cent increase in value compared with 2017.

At the same time European beef exports to Canada in 2018 grew to 3,236 metric tonnes, up 12 per cent.

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says the growth is due to more producers supplying more E-U eligible cattle and a major packer developing the E-U market.

The association says nearly two-thirds of the 2018 volume and half the value went to the U-K, and that means a lot is riding on the access Canadian beef will have to an independent U-K following Brexit.