Canadian red meat groups to open advocacy office in Beijing 

The Canadian red meat sector will open an advocacy office in Beijing to grow and protect its Chinese market industry groups announced today.

“The chance to demonstrate our commitment to such an important market is an opportunity that we are very excited about.” said David Typer, chair of the Canadian Meat Advocacy Board, in a Canadian Meat Council news release.

“We will soon begin our search for a China representative. Once the hiring process is complete, operations will be launched.”

The Canadian Meat Advocacy Office is a collaboration between the Canadian Meat Council, Canadian Pork Council and the Canadian Cattle Association.

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The group called the office a tangible demonstration that the Canadian pork and beef sectors are eager to have a stronger presence in the Chinese market.

Goals of the office include advancing the interests of Canadian red meat in China, establishing and enhancing the presence of Canadian meat in the Chinese market, addressing market access issues, mitigating potential trade disruption, and building trust with Chinese officials, industry leaders according to a job posting on recruiting website Glassdoor.

Red meat is just one sector that has struggled with fraught relations between Canada and China. In 2019, China blocked shipments of Canadian pork and beef, citing bogus export certificates, as tensions escalated following the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. China also stopped purchasing Canadian canola seed, citing pest concerns.