With the full, 6,000-page Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) text released earlier this month, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) continues to assess the massive 12-country trade deal. Each commodity may need to be scanned with a fine-tooth comb, according to CFA president Ron Bonnett, but overall he says the trade pact continues to be an issue of competitiveness.

"If any other country ends up getting a deal that's preferential to Canada, it's going to really put us at a disadvantage," Bonnett says, "so I think the pressure is on to ensure we are part of any deal, but at the same time, I think everybody will be going through and seeing if there is any more negative impact than what was anticipated on supply management."

If ratified, the TPP would account for 40 per cent of the world's economy, and would allow for the elimination or reduction of tariffs on Canadian exports, such as canola and pork in Japan and Vietnam. It would also mean some concessions to Canadian supply management, such as opening up 3.25 per cent of Canada's dairy market to imports.

However, Bonnett doesn't think supply management will be the concern to tip the scales either way in Canada's decision whether or not to ratify the deal.

"I think sometimes the mainline media has made out that supply management is the big bad guy in this whole agreement, whereas it is one component, and I think we have to recognize that," he says. "We're hearing a lot of background noise on things like the auto sector and intellectual property."

Bonnett thinks deal is still something Canada could support, saying it's important particularly to Western Canadian producers involved in export commodities. He brings up negotiations in a free trade deal from years ago between Canada and South Korea, in which the U.S. ended up signing a deal with Korea before Canada. He says Canadian producers lost quite a bit on pork, having to compete against preferential tariffs on American pork.

"I think that's one of those examples that shows you what happens when one country gets a deal in place and someone is left outside. All of a sudden it becomes an issue of competitiveness," he says.

The TPP is expected to be debated in Parliament, once it resumes under the new Liberal government.