Scott Moe says Chinese trade dispute shouldn’t pit one region against another

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, left, and Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, meet in Ottawa on Tuesday.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said a trade conflict with China shouldn’t pit one region of the country against another as he tries to support the hard-hit canola industry while Ontario lobbies to preserve Canadian tariffs on China that started this dispute.

China in August imposed a 75.8-per-cent duty on Canadian canola seed, a major crop in Saskatchewan, as part of its retaliation for Ottawa’s 100-per-cent tariffs on Chinese EVs and 25-per-cent levies on Chinese steel and aluminum in 2024.

China’s move was on top of a 100-per-cent tariff on Canadian canola oil, canola meal and peas that Beijing imposed in March, and a 25-per-cent tariff on Canadian seafood and pork products.