A ratified Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement could garner more international customers for Altona-based Elmer's Manufacturing, which designs, develops and manufactures specialized agricultural equipment that is shipped across North America and around the world. A highlight of the twelve country, multi-lateral trade deal is an elimination or reduction of tariffs on machinery.

Vice President Mike Friesen says the company already has a stake in the Australian market, where tariffs are currently in place for equipment coming from Canadian businesses such as Elmer's. He explains the elimination or reduction of these tariffs could entice customers to purchase more product from Canada, adding it's a struggle for Australian customers to purchase this equipment locally.

"For our customers, they were used to seeing somewhere around a five to seven per cent (increase) on all of our goods that came into Australia. If they're buying millions of dollars of equipment, it does add up pretty quickly."

Meantime, Friesen feels the potential is small for Elmer's to gain many other countries that are included in the deal based purely on the agriculture landscape of the region. "Australia is very similar to western Canada so that's naturally a good fit for us." He adds however, an approved TPP could allow for more freedom to deal with similar countries such as New Zealand.

The Vice President also says the benefits to a ratified trade agreement wouldn't just be seen on the international playing field, but would offer indirect, domestic perks to the company.

"Our current customers here in Western Canada can experience the benefit of having a more competitive market to play in and export more of our canola, and other crops, worldwide into these countries. In turn, if they are becoming more profitable too, that also has a direct impact on our sales as well in Western Canada."

According to the Canadian Canola Growers Association, canola producers have won increased added value and a $780 million per year boost in exports through the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.