The enhanced Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA) will be the cornerstone of Canada’s commercial relationship with Israel. The original agreement eliminated tariffs on industrial products and some agricultural and fisheries products. Further tariff reductions were later implemented on additional agricultural and fisheries products. Since the original agreement, Canada’s two-way merchandise trade with Israel has tripled to $1.6 billion in 2014. This agreement will further enhance our already successful economic relationship.
As a priority market under Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan, Israel provides a wide range of opportunities in the areas of merchandise exports, investment, science and technology, and innovation. A modernized CIFTA will enable Canadian companies take greater advantage of these opportunities and create jobs, growth and prosperity for Canadians in every region of the country.
Canadians have access to an abundance of consistently high-quality food products—cherries, potatoes, apples, cranberries and chickpeas, to name just a few. Canada’s agricultural and agri-food sector is one of the most dynamic in the world and will benefit from this expanded agreement.
Canada is also known for its world-class fish and seafood exports. Surrounded by the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans and home to the Great Lakes, Canada has one of the world’s most valuable commercial fishing industries. Canadian fish and seafood producers will benefit from new opportunities in the Israeli market in the years to come.
The modernized CIFTA will provide improved market access opportunities for Canadian agricultural, fish and seafood products through the elimination of tariffs on products such as cranberries, dog and cat food, various baked goods, processed seafood and certain fish. The Agreement will also provide Canadian exporters with new or expanded duty-free access under tariff rate quotas for certain products, including chickpeas, frozen vegetables, frozen french fries, apples, wine and shrimp.
