OTTAWA – Canadian farmers could take a big hit from China’s sudden retaliatory tariffs that take aim at canola, pork and other food commodities.
Chris Davison, head of the Canola Council of Canada, says the tariffs are prohibitively high and the fallout will be felt across his industry.
Davison says China is a top market for Canadian canola that represents close to $5 billion in export value.
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.
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.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2025.
— With files from the Associated Press.
