China's Ministry of Commerce has announced plans to launch an anti-dumping case into Canadian canola seed imports.
The action was initiated in response to the federal government’s decision to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum.
Many farmers and industry experts are concerned about the potential impact this case could have on the canola market.
Chris Davison is the CEO and President of the Canadian Canola Council of Canada or CCC. He says China is an important and valued market for Canadian canola.
“We are confident that an investigation into Canada’s canola trade with China will demonstrate alignment with and reinforce our support for rules-based trade.”
In essence, China is accusing Canada of mass exporting Canola at below market value in an effort to gain an unfair advantage in the market. This activity is known as dumping.
In 2023, China imported $3.72 billion worth of Canola or 5.5 million tonnes.
Statistics show that 94 per cent of that overall total came from Canada.
The CCC is waiting for further details on the investigation and will work closely with the federal government on this situation.
Davison says working to maintain open and predictable trade for canola is a top priority for the CCC.
“We will continue to engage on this issue to support market access and competitiveness for Canadian canola in this key market.”