Beijing: China announced a tariff that is worth more than $ 2.6 billion of Canadian agricultural and food products on Saturday, and a decrease from the fees presented by Ottawa in October and opened a new interface in a trade war that is largely led by US President Donald Trump’s threats.
The fees, announced by the Ministry of Commerce, and are scheduled to enter on March 20, are 100 % import duties and 25 % on Chinese electric cars, steel and aluminum for a little more than four months.
By excluding the canola, also known as Bameseded, and was one of the best exports in Canada for the number 1 agricultural importer in the world before China achieved this due to the fight against dumping last year, it might keep Beijing the door open to commercial talks.
Analysts say that the customs tariff also works as a warning snapshot, as the Trump administration indicated that it may reduce the 25 % import confrontation that the White House threatens Canada and Mexico if they apply the same 20 % additional duty that slapped Chinese goods to fentanel flows.
“The measures of Canada violate the rules of the World Trade Organization in a way, and constitute a typical work of protectionism, which are discriminatory measures that are strongly harmful to the legitimate rights and interests of China,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.
China will apply a 100 % tariff to a little more than one billion dollars of Canadian oil, oil cakes and peas imports, and 25 % service to Canadian pork products and meat with a value of $ 1.6 billion. “The timing may be a warning shot,” said Dan Wang, director of China at the Eurasia Group in Singapore. “By beating now, China remembers Canada at the cost of consensus closely with the American trade policy.”
“It is possible that China’s late response (to the Ottawa tariff in October) will reflect strategic capabilities and signs.” “The Ministry of Commerce is a thin outstretched, trade in the United States and the European Union.”
“Canada, a lesser priority, was waiting for its role.”
The Canadian Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in August that Ottawa was imposing fees on facing what he called the intentional policy of China directed by the state, following the progress of the United States and the European Union, both of which also applied the fees contained on Chinese Chinese Evs.
In response, in September, China launched a fight against dumping at Canadian canola imports. More than half of the canola exports in Canada go to China and trade is worth $ 3.7 billion in 2023, according to the Canola Council in Canada. “The Canadian Canola investigation is still ongoing.” Rosa Wang, an analyst at the Agricultural company JCI, said: “This canola has not been included in the definition list this time, it may also be a gesture to leave a space for negotiations.”
Beijing can also hope that the change in the government in Ottawa makes it more applicable. The upcoming national elections in Canada must be held by October 20.
China is the second largest commercial partner in Canada, late for the United States. Canada exported the goods worth $ 47 billion to the second largest economy in the world in 2024, according to Chinese customs data.
“To be honest, I do not understand the reason for doing it at all,” he said, even a reward, the agricultural analyst at Trivium China.
“I expect Beijing to use the elections and change the leader as an opportunity to reset the relations as it did with Australia,” she added.
In 2020, China presented a series of tariffs, ban and other restrictions on major Australian exports, including barley, wine, beef, coal, lobster, and wood in revenge to Canberra, calling for the assets of Kovid.
Beijing did not start lifting the ban until 2023, that is, one year after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albaniz Scott Morrison, who called for the investigation.
