China on Tuesday introduced preliminary anti-dumping duties on Canadian canola imports, a contemporary escalation within the year-long commerce dispute that started with Ottawa’s imposition of tariffs on Chinese language electrical car imports final August.
The provisional price might be set at 75.8 per cent, efficient from Thursday, the Ministry of Commerce mentioned in a press release.
ICE November canola futures fell 4 per cent to a three-month low after the announcement.
China, the world’s largest importer of canola – often known as rapeseed – sources practically all of its provides of the product from Canada. The steep duties would possible all however finish imports if they’re maintained.
“That is enormous. Who pays a 75 per cent deposit to convey Canadian canola to China? It’s like telling Canada that we don’t want your canola, thanks very a lot,” mentioned one Singapore-based oilseed dealer.
China’s Ministry of Commerce mentioned on Tuesday an anti-dumping probe launched in September 2024 had discovered Canada’s agricultural sector and notably the canola trade had benefited from “substantial” authorities subsidies and preferential insurance policies.
China has till September, when the investigation formally ends, to make a last determination on the duties, although it has the choice of extending that deadline by six months. A last ruling may lead to a special price, or overturn Tuesday’s determination.
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The choice marks a shift from the conciliatory tone struck in June when China’s Premier Li Qiang mentioned there have been no deep-seated conflicts of curiosity between the international locations throughout a cellphone name with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“This transfer… will put further stress on Canada’s authorities to type by commerce frictions with China,” mentioned Trivium China agriculture analyst Even Rogers Pay.
The Canadian embassy in Beijing didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Individually, China additionally launched an anti-dumping investigation into Canadian pea starch and imposed provisional duties on imports of halogenated butyl rubber, in keeping with ministry statements.
Changing hundreds of thousands of tons of Canadian canola is prone to be troublesome at quick discover, say analysts.
China primarily makes use of imported canola to make animal feed for its aquaculture sector. A separate responsibility on Canadian canola meal imports in March has already put these provides in danger.
The transfer offers a chance for Australia, which appears set to regain entry to the Chinese language market with a couple of take a look at cargoes this yr after a years-long freeze within the commerce, Pay mentioned.
Australia, the second-largest canola exporter, has been shut out of the Chinese language market since 2020 due primarily to Chinese language guidelines to cease the unfold of fungal plant illness.
Nonetheless, even when Australian imports enhance, “totally changing Canadian canola might be very troublesome except import demand drops sharply,” mentioned Donatas Jankauskas, an analyst with commodity information agency CM Navigator.
