Manitoba's canola industry, farmers call for federal action on looming tariffs from China

Tessa Adamski · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 17, 2025 5:28 PM EDT | Last Updated: 12 minutes ago

Impending Chinese retaliatory tariffs connected immoderate canola products has led Manitoba farmers and manufacture members to critique the Canadian authorities for not doing capable to support farmers from fiscal harm and marque amends with China.

Jason Johnston, who operates a atom workplace successful Darlingford Man., astir 117 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, said provincial and national politicians haven't acknowledged the impacts farmers are facing since China's Commerce Ministry announced it volition enforce 100 per cent tariffs connected canola lipid and lipid repast starting Thursday. 

"In the week since this announcement has been made, canola has dropped $2 a bushel, truthful connected my workplace that would mean astir an $80,000 nonaccomplishment each year," Johnston said, adding that helium farms astir 1,000 acres of canola connected harvest rotation each year.

"We are decidedly successful the reddish connected canola astatine these prices."

The looming tariffs are successful retaliation for Canada's 100 per cent tariffs connected Chinese-made electrical vehicles and a 25 per cent levy connected Chinese aluminum and alloy products imposed connected Oct. 1. Canada followed the pb of the United States and the European Union who initially applied import levies connected Chinese-made electrical vehicles.

Johnston wonders if canola farmers volition beryllium compensated for their losses and urges Canadian politicians — who person been "completely silent" connected the contented —  to assistance the tariffs connected Chinese-made electrical vehicles successful the hopes China volition revoke its tariff threats.

"We are terms takers, we person nary accidental successful this astatine each … and Canadian farmers request to cognize what's going to happen," helium said during an interrogation connected CBC's Information Radio on Monday.

Canola is Canada's 2nd largest acreage harvest with much than 21 cardinal acres produced annually, a national quality merchandise said. Canola repast exports to China made up $920.9 cardinal of Canada's system successful 2024 while canola lipid exports to China made up astir $21 million.

Although farmers are seeking different options for crops to turn connected their farms, flooding these alternate agriculture markets poses a hazard arsenic well, helium said. 

The national authorities has implemented immoderate tariff alleviation measures for Canadian businesses and workers, including $1 cardinal successful caller financing done Farm Credit Canada to trim fiscal barriers for the Canadian agriculture and nutrient manufacture — but Johnston says these are loans and not fiscal aid.

China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, pursuing the U.S., which has imposed 25 per cent tariffs connected Canada, Mexico and China. U.S. President Trump has paused immoderate tariffs imposed connected Canadian goods, including canola products, until April 2.

Johnston questions wherefore Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was sworn successful connected Friday aft the erstwhile person Justin Trudeau stepped down, isn't ramping up the country's trade relations with China if the U.S. is nary longer a favourable commercialized partner.

The national government's erstwhile International Trade Minister Mary Ng and Lawrence MacAulay, the erstwhile national curate for agriculture, said Canada "remains unfastened to engaging successful constructive dialog with Chinese officials" to code their commercialized concerns, according to a quality merchandise connected March 8.

Johnston criticized however Carney promised to enactment workers successful the Canadian alloy and aluminum manufacture connected Wednesday following the impacts of U.S. tariffs, but has yet to perpetrate to supporting farmers affected by tariffs connected canola. Carney is besides doubling down connected his partnerships with France and the U.K. arsenic Trump continues to onslaught the aboriginal of Canada's sovereignty and economy. 

LISTEN | Manitoba husbandman calls connected national authorities to instrumentality enactment connected retaliatory tariffs:

Winnipeg South Centre MP Ben Carr said China's tariffs connected canola are "unwarranted and unjustified." Government officials are moving to guarantee enactment is successful spot for Manitoba farmers, helium said successful an emailed connection connected Monday.

Andre Harpe, president of the Canadian Canola Growers Association, said he's spoken to Kody Blois, the caller national furniture curate for agriculture and agri-food, who seems to beryllium listening to the industry's concerns. 

"We are starting to spot designation that this is simply a superior issue," said Harpe, who's based successful Grande Prairie, Alta. 

Possible tariffs from the U.S. and China volition simultaneously permission Canada with "no country to breathe" which would beryllium "absolutely devastating," helium said. The manufacture has already seen immoderate atom companies holding backmost from buying canola, Harpe said.

"The national authorities has to get astatine slightest 1 of these tariffs, if not some of these tariffs, removed."