Canada’s agriculture minister emphasized the need to carefully assess the potential impact on other industries before considering any adjustments to tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China. Minister Heath MacDonald highlighted that while the Canadian government has not received direct requests from China regarding tariff changes, the matter is under review.
MacDonald stressed the importance of safeguarding the interests of various sectors and industries while evaluating any modifications to the current tariff regime. Last year, Canada imposed a 100 percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, mirroring actions taken by the United States, with a commitment to reevaluate the decision within a year.
In response, China retaliated by imposing tariffs on Canadian canola, a move widely interpreted as retaliatory. During a visit to China, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith urged Ottawa to reconsider the tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
Minister MacDonald’s statements came following a meeting in Winnipeg involving federal and provincial agriculture ministers, where concerns were raised by canola groups regarding the challenges faced by producers in the sector.