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OTTAWA — Canadian farmers could take a big hit from China’s sudden retaliatory tariffs that take aim at canola, pork and other food commodities.
China is hitting Canada with 100-per-cent tariffs on canola oil and peas, and 25-per-cent tariffs on pork and aquatic products — loosely mirroring Canada’s EV and steel and aluminum levies.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says the province’s canola industry is being put in the line of fire due to tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
Moe said in a social media post that the tariffs on Chinese EVs are to protect North American EVs, which he says few can afford.
Well put, Trevor.
Sask’s canola industry is being put in the line of fire due to tariff’s on Chinese EV’s which nobody wants; to protect North American EV’s which few can afford; impacting Saskatchewan canola sales which people need and are already paying for. pic.twitter.com/jHrTwX3zve
— Scott Moe (@PremierScottMoe) March 8, 2025
Chris Davison, head of the Canola Council of Canada, says the tariffs are prohibitively high and the fallout will be felt across his industry.
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He said China is a top market for Canadian canola that represents close to $5 billion in export value.
“The impacts will be widespread and will be felt across the industry, starting with farmers who grow the crop every year and extending beyond there to the companies that provide them with seeds and inputs … to grain companies and processors and ultimately to exporters,” Davison said.
“We’re expecting to work with the Canadian government very quickly to address the situation we face but also to pursue a resolution to it as expeditiously as possible.”
Beijing announced retaliatory tariffs on select Canadian farm imports in response to Canadian duties levied back in the fall against Chinese-made electric vehicles, and steel and aluminum products.
The new tariffs against Canadian agricultural products are expected to kick in on March 20 — and will widen Canada’s ongoing trade problems as the country seeks to beat back U.S. President Donald Trump’s stop-and-go tariffs.
In a joint statement late Saturday night, international trade and economic development minister Mary Ng, agriculture and agri-food minister Lawrence MacAulay and fisheries minister Diane Lebouthillier said they are “deeply disappointed” with China’s announced tariffs.
“Our hard-working farmers and fishers provide world-class food to Canadians and international trading partners,” the statement read.
“We are steadfast in our commitment to defend Canadian workers and we will stand shoulder-to-shoulder in our support for Canada’s hard-working farmers and fishers in the agricultural and fishing sectors.”
This is not the first time Beijing has put Canadian canola in its crosshairs.
In 2019, the country targeted canola export licenses as an economically sensitive pressure point — widely viewed in Canada as a political response to the detention of senior Huawei telecom executive Meng Wanzhou.
— with files from The Associated Press.
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