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Trade

France - Top cheeses set for Canada’s tables

CETA doubles the current duty-free quota for EU cheese exports while protecting distinctive European regional food and drink products on the Canadian market.

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  • Canada
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  • Exporters' stories
EU exporter
  • France

Bringing high-quality French cheeses to Canadian tables

The family-owned company specialises in high-end cheeses. It employs nearly 80 people in its shops and special cheese-maturing cellars. Maison Mons sources some 200 cheeses from 130 different producers across France. Many of the cheeses have a Geographical Indication (GI) – a distinctive sign used to identify a product as coming from a particular country, region or locality where its quality, reputation or other characteristic is linked to its geographical origin.

Maison Mons exports to over 20 countries, with a third of the company's exports going to the USA. For over a decade, the company has focused in sales of high-quality French cheeses and has now entered the Canadian market.

Key facts

  • Founded in 1964
  • Headquarters: Saint Haon le Chatel, France
  • Employees: 78
  • Annual turnover: €13 million

How has the trade agreement helped?

CETA doubles the current duty-free quota for EU cheese exports to Canada, from 8,000 to 18,500 tons.

CETA protects 140 distinctive European regional food and drink products known as Geographical Indications or GIs in Canada, making it illegal to sell imitations of them there.

With CETA in place Canadian retailers are increasingly interested in buying European cheeses. It’s also vital that CETA protects cheeses like ours against imitations. We’re looking forward to bringing our unique range of products to Canadian consumers. 

Herve Mons,
Owner & Best Artisan Craftsman of France, 2000

We’ve started getting enquiries from retailers in Canada about our cheeses. For them, the doubling of the duty free quota under CETA means they can offer a wider range of high-end cheeses. We are very excited about this new market opportunity.

Laure Dubouloz,
Sales director, North America