Market Access

Pulse Canada icon pulse texture

Our Approach

Pulse Canada believes that our industry must find new ways to compete in a global trading environment that is experiencing an unprecedented level of uncertainty and barriers to free and open trade. On behalf of pulse growers and the pulse trade, we are working to ensure that the Canadian pulse industry is in a position to:

  • Implement strategies to create new export opportunities while preventing market access barriers from arising.
  • Rapidly respond to emerging market access issues before they become barriers that limit or prevent trade.

For example, Pulse Canada works to address non-tariff trade barriers related to pesticide residue requirements (MRLs), technically unjustified human and plant health requirements, weed seeds, insect pests, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and plant breeding innovations (PBIs).

Strategic Partnerships

The Canadian pulse and special crops industry relies on competitive access to international markets for prosperity and growth. Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and other international treaties and trade-enabling policies are critical to achieving market access. In addition to addressing the individual market access issues that may arise in each of these areas, it is critical that our industry conduct proactive advocacy work for trade-enabling policies.

While we recognize that we alone cannot control national and international trade policies, we continue to partner with others in industry and government to influence outcomes consistent with pulse and special crop industry goals. Several of the activities in this project area are being addressed through Pulse Canada’s memberships in the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) and the Canada Grains Council (CGC).

The Global Trade Environment

Canada is the world’s largest exporter of pulses, exporting 80% of the pulses we grow. The success of our pulse sector relies heavily on free and open trade and continued access to the global marketplace.

The global context surrounding Canadian agriculture trade is rapidly changing, creating challenges and affecting growth prospects for Canadian pulse exports.

Significant factors affecting the trade environment include:

  • A shift away from multilateralism and the rules-based trading system.
  • Underperformance of Canada’s existing bilateral and plurilateral trade agreements.
  • Increasing protectionism and the use of non-tariff trade barriers.

As we strive to increase the tonnage and percentage of Canada’s pulse production moved into new uses and new markets, the need to achieve and maintain access to free and unfettered trade will continue to grow.