5 ways the Canada-EU trade deal will impact Canadians

Canada and the European Union have reached a "political agreement" on free trade thatthe federal government says could boost Canada's annual income by as much as $12 billion annually, and bilateral trade by 20 per cent.

While the deal is not expected to be ratified for at least two years, it is expected to remove 98 per cent of EU tariffs on a widerange of Canadian products.

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Here are five ways the CanadaEU Trade Agreement (CETA) will affect Canadians:

1. Cheaper goods

When CETA comes into force, Canadians will pay less for items including food, wines and spirits, and even high-end Europeancars if retailers and European manufacturers pass on the savings from the elimination of tariffs.

For example, the 10 per cent EU tariff on passenger vehicles will be eliminated,as willtariffson auto partswhich run up to 4.5 per cent.

Michael Hatch, the economist for the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association, applauded the elimination of tariffs on EU-imported cars and parts, saying in a written statement it "will translate into lower prices for Canadians."

While Canadian documents make no mention of alcohol, amemo by the European Union says tariffs on wines and spirits from the EU will also be eliminated. About half of Canada's wine imports are from the EU, the memo notes.

Once the deal is in effect, most of the EU tariffs on agricultural products and seafood as well as other many other goods will be eliminated right away, and seven years later 95 per cent of products will be dutyfree, according to the documents outlining the deal released Friday.

2. More Canadian beef, pork and bison

CETA will significantly raise the quotas for Canadian beef, pork and bison, giving producers much greater duty-free access to the EU market. The potential increase in annual sales is estimated at $1 billion.

Manitoba expects the deal willprovide significant market access for its agricultural producers including beef, pork and canola, as well as itsmanufacturers and other businesses.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz refuted the suggestion that Canada made gains in the beef, pork and bison industries at the expense of dairy farmers.

"Not true, not at all," Ritz said on Friday.

Ritz said while the Europeans will be able to sell Canadians more cheese, Canadians will be able to sell them other dairy products such asmilk, yogurt, and ice cream on top of cheese.

"Our dairy industry has complete, unfettered access for all dairy products into the European market."

3. More European cheese

EU cheesemakers will be allowed to sell Canada 29,000 tonnes of cheese, up from the current 13,000 tonnes.

While the federal government insists CETA will not affect Canada's supply management system, which it says will remain "as robust as ever," it is considering compensation for Canadian dairy farmers if they lose money because of the agreement. Its not clear whether compensation is being considered for small cheesemakers.

"Personally, I don't think there will be any hurt," Ritz said on Friday.

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But Ron Versteeg, the vicepresident of the Dairy Farmers of Canada, told CBC News on Friday they are concerned about giving the EU greater access to "one of the jewels" in the Canadian dairy industry.

"It's a bit discouraging to see something that we've put a lot of blood,sweat, and tears into developing to have it sort of eroded and given away to the Europeans,"Versteeg said.

Both Ontario and Quebec have asked the federal government for a guarantee that their dairy farmers will receive compensation for any negative impact resulting from the trade deal.

4. Intellectual property rights and drugs

Intellectual property rights and patent protection was a key area of concern for the Europeans during negotiations, particularly in the area of pharmaceuticals.

While the text of the agreement in principle is not yet available, the government was claiming Friday it strikes "an appropriate balance between rewarding innovators and ensuring Canadians are able to reap the fruits of such innovation."

Canadas Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D), the organization that represents brand-name drug manufacturers, welcomed the deal, saying "a more level playing field in intellectual property protection can lead to more investment in the research and development of new medicines and vaccines here at home."

According to Rx&D, the CETA will potentially allow drug makers to recover up to two years lost on a drug patent as a result of red tape, and will give patent-owners the right to appeal court decisions where a patent has been ruled invalid.

Phil Upshall, executive director of the Mood Disorders Society, also applauded the trade deal saying "CETA will ensure continued innovation in medicines and improve the health of all Canadians, including those with mental illness."

Upshall pointed out that the last time Canada reformed its IP policy was 25 years ago. "The rest of the world has evolved since then and Canada must keep pace," he said.

But there are concerns about the effect the deal will have on the cost of drugs, if generic drug makers are forced to wait longer before being able to bring less-expensive drugs to market. The provinces have been increasingly relying on generic drugs to help keep health care costs down.

Ontario Premier KathleenWynnesaid on Friday her province supports the deal but has a few concernsaround its provisions on pharmaceuticals, among other areas.

"We'd like to make sure that there is compensationif any of our pharmaceutical industry is adversely affected," Wynnesaid.

5. Provincial and municipal contracts

Wynnealso said she supports the deal because itgives its manufacturers and serviceproviders more access to European markets.

Ontario estimates the deal willcreate an estimated 30,000 jobs across the province.

But it would also allow European companies greater access to bid on local and provincial contracts.

A memoby the European Commissionsays "CETAcovers new ground, as it is the first time that all sub-federal levels of government in Canada have committed themselves to bilaterally opening their procurement markets."

An EU-Canada study put the overall value of contracts awarded by the Canadian government at up to $19 billion per year, while the value of contracts by Canadian municipalities was estimated at $112 billion.

According to the Canadian government,CETA procurement rules will only apply to "high-value" contracts to ensure that municipalities are still able to support local interests.

Claude Dauphin, the president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, welcomed the agreement in principle saying it was the result of two years of collaboration between the municipalities and the federal government.

Dauphin said "while some important details remain to be confirmed," the FCM was "more optimistic than ever."

The federal government notes that excluded from the CanadaEU trade deal, as in all of Canada's free-trade agreements, are sectors such as education and health-care services.