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BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — Two years after signing, Canada’s free trade agreement with the European Union is slowly beginning to pay off for Saskatchewan farmers in spite of continuing regulatory barriers.

The Comprehensive EU-Canada Trade Agreement (CETA) reduces or eliminates tariffs on trade between Canada and signatory European Union member states — but experts say non-tariff barriers are hampering Canada’s access to the market.

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For Saskatchewan farmers, who are especially dependent on exports, that means tougher access to a market of more than half a billion people. Four of the province’s top five exports to the E.U. are agricultural; the last is potash.

However, because many Saskatchewan agricultural exports are produced under North American sanitary standards, farmers face certification hurdles if they want to sell to the European market, which are often costly and time-consuming. European farmers typically do not face the same hurdles if they want to export to Canada.