Canada’s new agriculture minister Heath MacDonald said in an interview last week that tackling trade issues with China and the United States are his most pressing priorities. The two-front trade war with the world’s largest economies has stressed out farmers in Canada, a major canola, wheat and pork exporter, and impacted spring planting plans.
Reuters reports MacDonald was sworn in on Tuesday and said trade issues are “center stage” after speaking with Canada’s canola industry and provincial agriculture ministers. Canada faces tariffs from China on Canadian canola meal and oil, as well as peas, pork and seafood products. It is also bracing for an anti-dumping ruling from China on Canadian canola seed exports. About half of Canada’s canola exports go to China.
Canada’s agriculture industry is also affected by tariffs on some products from the Trump administration, such as steel and aluminum used in agricultural machinery.
