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By Alice McFarlane

tackling tariffs at canola meeting

Federal, provincial ministers and canola industry discuss trade and tariffs

Aug 21, 2025 | 4:04 PM

There was discussion – but no solid solutions.

Federal and provincial leaders along with representatives in the canola industry met Thursday morning to discuss the impact of tariffs.

Premier Scott Moe, along with Trade and Export Development Minister Warren Kaeding and Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison, met with federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Heath MacDonald, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister Kody Blois, and leaders from Saskatchewan’s canola sector to focus on the financial repercussions of the duties imposed by China on provincial canola exports.

The group called on the federal government to take quick, meaningful action to resolve the current situation, starting with Moe.

“The Government of Saskatchewan condemns China’s punitive tariffs on canola, which directly impact Saskatchewan families. This is an urgent situation for Saskatchewan producers, and we must work together to find immediate solutions,” Moe said. “Saskatchewan is one of the largest canola producers in the world, supporting thousands of jobs and driving economic growth across Canada. As a province that exports nearly 70 per cent of everything we produce, we will continue to champion free and fair global trade.”

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AAFC Minister Heath MacDonald issued a statement after today’s meeting.

“We agreed on the importance of working together to ensure fair market access for the canola industry and engaging in constructive dialogue with Chinese officials to address each other’s respective trade concerns. Our discussion also touched on support options for producers, including the government’s suite of business risk management (BRM) programs and how Canada is developing a comprehensive industrial strategy to help businesses develop new export opportunities in international markets,” the statement said.

MacDonald added canola is one of the most valuable agricultural exports and an important driver of the Canadian economy.

Sask Oilseeds Chair Dean Roberts said farmers are being used as a pawn in the current geo-political environment.

“Unprecedented market closure amidst an already stressful time of year has a compounding adverse effect on farmers,” Roberts said. “Today’s dialogue with government leaders centered on practical solutions that could be activated to support farmers’ livelihood in the short-term.”

Earlier this month, the Chinese government imposed a 76 per cent tariff on Canadian canola exports—on top of existing tariffs on canola oil and meal. These measures are widely seen as retaliatory, following Canada’s decision to place tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

The industry stakeholders that attended today’s canola meeting included Viterra North America/Bunge, Richardson’s, Parish and Heimbecker, Canola Council of Canada, Sask OilSeeds, Canadian Canola Growers Association, Louis Dreyfus Canada, AGT Foods, G3, and Paterson Global Foods.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com