Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is meeting in Saskatoon today with Federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and Cody Blois, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, along with representatives from the canola sector. The focus: responding to China’s steep tariffs on Canadian canola products.
Last week, China announced a 75.8% tariff on Canadian canola seed, adding to the 100% tariffs placed in March on canola meal and oil.
Dean Roberts, Chair of the Saskatchewan Oilseeds Board, emphasized the urgency of the situation as producers begin harvesting this year’s crop.
“These tariffs are hugely detrimental,” Roberts said. “Effectively shutting down our second-largest market would not be a good thing any time of year but especially heading into harvest. All along as growers we've been asking the federal government to engage with the Chinese government to try and reset this trade relationship to try and get our market access resumed. To try and get trade happening again in the way that it should be. So having this meeting today is positive news that people are listening. And they're working on it on our behalf.”
Roberts also expressed optimism about the meeting’s attendees.
“Canola is vital to the national economy. It's an agricultural product so Minister MacDonald is there, but it's also equally important to Saskatchewan, as half of the crop is grown in our province. What is a national problem is disproportionately a Saskatchewan problem. So, I'm very happy that Scott Moe was able to get this group of people together to get the dialogue started and get some discussion happening to start working on resolution.”
Speaking yesterday near a canola crushing plant at Yorkton, Premier Moe hinted about a trade mission to China to address the tariff situation.
“We’ll be inviting not only the prime minister, but other trade officials in the federal government to join Saskatchewan in what I think is going to be a very important conversation in determining and securing the future of the canola industry here in Yorkton, more broadly across Saskatchewan, and our nation.”
Premier Moe also called on the federal government to elevate the urgency of the issue. He'd like to see the Prime Minister and his minister increase their priority and intensity, adding that Saskatchewan will be there to support them.
Producers and industry stakeholders are watching closely, hopeful that today’s meeting marks the beginning of a resolution to the crisis in the canola trade.
Yesterday, Moe announced that the province would committ to fund 50 per cent of the cost to improve a key industrial corridor north of Yorkton.
"Grain Millers Drive is a critical access point for several major agri-businesses and industries," Premier Scott Moe said. "This is a key artery for the movement of goods and services, connecting local producers to national and international markets."
The Ministry of Highways, City of Yorkton and Rural Municipality of Orkney will be launching a functional planning study to understand what improvements are needed and how to ensure the road is able to support current traffic as well as future industrial growth.