The Agriculture Minister, Heath MacDonald, and the International Trade Minister, Maninder Sidhu, are set to meet with representatives from canola organizations this Wednesday afternoon to address China’s recent announcement imposing a hefty 75.8 percent tariff on Canadian canola exports. The scheduled meeting will involve discussions with the Canola Council of Canada and the Canadian Canola Growers Association. These new tariffs are expected to take effect as early as Thursday.
The canola industry is urgently calling on the Canadian government for prompt action, emphasizing that Beijing’s proposed tariff could essentially cut off Canada’s access to its $5 billion canola market. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner conveyed during a press conference earlier today that these tariffs were entirely preventable and necessitate an immediate response from Ottawa. She expressed deep concern over the economic impact on Western Canada and the agricultural sector, questioning the absence of the Liberal government’s public engagement on this critical issue.
China initiated an anti-dumping investigation into Canadian canola exports nearly a year ago, purportedly in retaliation to Canada’s imposition of a 100 percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. Despite these claims, Canada has denied engaging in any dumping practices concerning canola exports to China. Dumping is a trade tactic where a country floods another nation’s market with goods at prices below their domestic costs, posing a threat to local industries.