In February, the federal government created the new Canada Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food office (IPAAO) in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. The facility is intended to expand trade opportunities in the region. “The creation of the IPAAO is unprecedented for Canada’s agriculture sector,” said an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) spokesperson. “It is the first time the sector will have a regional office dedicated to the Indo-Pacific region as a whole under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.”

In June of 2018, Vietnam’s Protection Department (PPD) notified the Canadian government that consignments of Canadian wheat and peas were found to be in non-compliance with the country’s phytosanitary requirements.

With the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Canada will now have better access to international markets comprised of 495 million people, representing a $13.5 trillion chunk of the global gross domestic product (GDP).