China hits Canada with retaliatory tariffs on agricultural products

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Beijing says it can impose tariffs on Canadian agricultural and meals products in retaliation for Ottawa’s levies on Chinese language electrical automobiles, stoking better uncertainty over the North American nation’s economic system.

China’s commerce ministry on Saturday stated it could impose 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian rapeseed oil and pea imports and a 25 per cent levy on pork and a few seafood imports.

It stated it was responding to “discriminatory” tariffs of 100 per cent on electrical automobiles and 25 per cent on metal and aluminium that Ottawa introduced in August, which adopted comparable actions by the US.

In response, Beijing filed a criticism with the World Commerce Group and launched an anti-dumping probe into Canadian imports of rapeseed products.

The tariffs will take impact on March 20 and add to uncertainty for Canada’s export industries, with the Trump administration threatening to impose blanket tariffs on imports from its neighbour.

This week, Trump backtracked on his menace to impose sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on Mexico and Canada however maintained the potential of the measures being imposed in April.

China is a vital marketplace for Canadian rapeseed, a crop also called canola. China purchased $3.5bn price of Canadian canola products, together with oil and seeds, making it the most important market behind the US, in response to the Canola Council of Canada commerce group.

Canadian politicians have responded to Trump’s threats by highlighting the necessity to diversify away from its foremost buying and selling associate. However Beijing’s announcement on Saturday underscores the restricted choices out there to the nation. China is Canada’s second-largest buying and selling associate, far behind the US.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused China of “not taking part in by the identical guidelines” when he introduced the tariffs on Chinese language EVs and metals in August. Carmaking is one in every of Canada’s most vital manufacturing sectors, with crops supplying the US market.