Canada’s new strategic partnership with China, and its tariff relief on canola, is being well-received locally.
“This is a welcome development for agricultural producers close to home and across the country,” says MP Pauline Rochefort. “We are appreciative of the work of Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Canadian delegation in securing a strategic partnership and a new Canada-China trade relationship.”
Under the pact, Canada expects China will lower tariffs on Canadian canola to a combined rate of approximately 15 per cent on March 1.
“Canola production is an important part of farming across the Nipissing-Timiskaming District and the easing of tariffs on canola is good news for local farmers, helping support the long-term stability of Northern agricultural communities,” says Norm Koch, President, Temiskaming Federation of Agriculture.
Officials say China is a $4 billion canola seed market for Canadian producers, and this change represents a significant drop from current combined tariff levels of approximately 85 per cent.
“I believe there’s going to be a world of optimism because of this news,” noted Denis Castonguay, General Manager, Co-operative Régionale de Nipissing Sudbury. “It’s going to make the market bigger, thereby helping our producers get a better price for their commodities.
He adds his news will help create stability in the market.
Rochefort’s office says the greatest acreage of canola grown in Ontario can be found in the northern part of the Nipissing-Timiskaming riding, with some 15,000 acres farmed in 2024.
