Aaidan Jaager
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
As China’s tariffs on canola seed sink Saskatchewan farmers’ profits, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is renewing calls for Ottawa to act.
The duty has already caused the price of one of Canada’s most valuable crops to fall, wiping out millions of dollars in its value.
Poilievre spoke to media and farmers this week on the outskirts of Saskatoon. Here’s what you need to know …
CHINESE TARIFFS HIT THE PRAIRIES
On Tuesday, the Chinese government announced a 75.8 per cent tariff on canola seed, affecting the prairies and farmers.
“They’ve already gone after oil and meal and this is, of course, another unfair attack on our western producers, many whom were having a fantastic growing season and looking forward to a bumper (crop),” Poilievre said on Thursday.
“These tariffs are unfair and unjustified and we lament the fact that Mark Carney has been so silent and so weak, failing to stand up for our farmers against these tariffs.”
China has targeted Canada’s beef products in the past, and China has mistreated the country’s economy for many years, Poilievre said.
“I think we should look at ways we can penalize the regime in Beijing for targeting our farmers. Carney has said nothing about the canola produce, like he doesn’t care about western Canadian producers.”
LOCAL FARMER SPEAKS OUT
Local Saskatoon farm Sixteen Grains is a family-owned modern farm brand and milling operation known for producing fresh Canadian-farmed ingredients and food products.
CEO Derek Dery is concerned about the the Chinese tariffs, noting that talks have gone on for a year and stem back to trade issues in 2018.
“As farmers in Saskatchewan and western Canada, we’re always subject to geo politics and the trade of the world. This week with the announcement, in one day the market was down the initial limit of $45 per metric tonne, which is a dollar a bushel. Instantly that’s a dollar a bushel lost off of the crop here in one single day,” Dery noted.
Dery said he is in full support of a free market.
“I don’t want a free handout or a cheque, because we’re tariffing China on (electric vehicles) and now they’re banning canola. I just want the opportunity to sell our canola, competitively, on the open market globally and that’s all. I don’t want money from taxpayers.”
AN EV MANDATE
The EV mandate was formalized by the federal government in 2023 and requires that 20 per cent of new car sales in Canada be zero-emission vehicles by 2026 and 100 per cent by 2035. Any cars sold above the dealership quota will pay a $20,000 tax. Carney upheld the policy since taking office this year.
Poilievre is against the mandate entirely.
“Mark Carney’s promised to ban your gas, truck and car, which is a ban that begins phasing in just months from today. It will kill jobs, balloon costs and bring rural communities to a halt,” he said.
Questions from Poilievre remain about how rural communities could drive exclusively electric vehicles and electric batteries in “minus 40 degree weather in February,” saying “it is simply not possible.
“Not not only would it eliminate rural communities, it would eliminate our auto sector,” he added.
“Consumers should be free to choose the car on their truck that they drive.”
Poilievre is in full support of the free market.
“I believe that we should buy the energy that is most affordable for Canadian families. I don’t believe that we should bring massive government subsidies or force Canadian consumers to pay higher electrical of power bills to subsidize solar panels or any other particular type of energy production.”
“We need to harvest our resources in this country. We have cheap, affordable natural gas. We have hydroelectricity here in Saskatchewan. We have the biggest supply of uranium anywhere on earth,” he added.
