China’s announcement this week of a 75.8% tariff on Canadian canola seed, effective Thursday, is not an isolated policy shift — it’s the latest escalation in a trade conflict that Ottawa itself helped set in motion.

Earlier this year, on March 20, Beijing imposed 100% tariffs on Canadian canola oil, canola meal, and peas, along with an additional 25% on lobster and pork. These measures were already weighing on our agri-food exports.

The catalyst for this latest blow came in September 2024, when the federal government moved to impose 100% duties on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), aligning itself with Washington’s protectionist stance to safeguard the North American EV market. Days later, China launched an anti-dumping investigation into Canadian canola, culminating in this preliminary 75

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