China recently threatened to toughen its inspection standards for canola imports from Canada, threatening up to $2 billion in Canadian canola exports. Canada is the world’s largest exporter of canola, mainly used to make vegetable oil. Reuters says the impending move led to talks between the countries, which recently broke off ahead of a visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. China’s quarantine authority recently announced it would impose stricter import inspection standards due to concerns over the crop disease blackleg. The move was supposed to take place on April 1 but was postponed to September first. The recent talks ended without China backing down from the threat of tougher sanctions, but talks between the two governments are expected to continue. Some experts say the move might make it more difficult for China to get a free trade deal with Canada which it has been pushing for recently.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.