A canola field in Canada. Photo: canolainfo.org
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https://scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3003742/canada-gets-tough-china-over-canola-ban-defies United States & Canada
Canada gets tough with China over canola ban that ‘defies science’, demanding proof of contamination
- Two Canadian exporters have been hit with Chinese bans over alleged pest contamination, amid a political and trade dispute since the arrest of Meng Wanzhou
- But Canada says no scientific evidence has been provided by China to justify the bans
Canada's Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says Canada has asked for proof that canola shipments to China were contaminated, as Beijing claims. Photo: AP
Canada on Thursday took a notably tougher line with China over its ban on Canadian imports of canola seed, saying Beijing had provided no scientific evidence to justify the move and was hurting its own reputation.
China, citing the discovery of pest contamination, expanded its ban on canola seed imports on Tuesday to include shipments from a second major exporter, Viterra Inc.
Canada and China have been locked in a trade and political dispute since the chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies, Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in Vancouver on December 1 on a US extradition request.
“The restrictive measures imposed by China are said to be rooted in science. We have asked for the evidence,” Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in a statement.
“To date, none has been supplied. We will keep pushing as hard as we can on this vital point,” added Goodale, who is from the western province of Saskatchewan, a major canola producer.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday that he was concerned about the ban and could send a delegation to Beijing.
Goodale said “measures that defy science and contravene sound business and trading practices detract from the good reputation for reliability which all trading nations seek to maintain.”