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For Canadian beef exporters, who saw their exports wiped out by mad-cow disease — or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) — more than 10 years ago, Japan is a crucially important market.

The crippling brain-tissue disease “had a huge impact on beef producers, Canada in particular,” said Dave Solverson, president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.

“We were out of the (Japanese) market for a few years completely, and then we started to regain it in stages. We’re not back to 2002 levels yet, which was prior to the BSE.”

The landmark TPP agreement should help complete that recovery.

Japan is the leading destination for Canadian beef — after the United States — with a market accounting for $100 million in 2014.

Under TPP, tariffs on beef entering Japan will drop from 38.5 per cent to nine per cent within 15 years. Pork tariffs, now at 4.3 per cent, will be eliminated altogether over 10 years.

“It was crucial that Canada be included (in TPP) because our competitors in the Asia market are mainly the U.S, and Australia, as well as exporters into Japan and emerging Malaysia and Vietnam markets,” said Solverson.

“They are there (in Japan) as well, and they’ve got the same deal,” he said. “We have market share now, but the market is not going to fall in our lap. We’re going to have to compete, even with this good tariff reduction under the TPP.”

Emerging markets are a growing destination for Canadian beef exports, Solverson added.