Premier meets with leaders to discuss China’s canola tariffs

Premier Scott Moe is determined to travel to China to talk canola tariffs, and he’s hoping that a federal delegation will come along as well.

Moe, along with the provincial agriculture and trade and export ministers, will meet with Heath MacDonald, federal agriculture minister, and canola experts at the University of Saskatchewan this afternoon, to talk about the recent tariffs imposed by China on Canadian canola exports.

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That’s where he announced that the province would fund up to 50 per cent of the cost to fix up and improve Grain Millers Drive, a road just outside of the city that leads to Richardson Oilseed, the biggest canola crushing facility in North America, and other agriculture-related companies.

It was at that announcement that he also said he would be travelling to China, and he’s planning on “opening discussions” with the federal government to join him.

“To join and go together, and we would be there in support of the federal government, negotiating an end to the canola tariffs that we have,” he said.

The province has had a trade office in China for the last eight years, and Moe talked about fostering and advancing relationships with Xi Jinping, China’s president.

“Saskatchewan is the obvious advocate, and the obvious province to support the federal government in starting these discussions on how we can have a more free and open access to the Chinese market for the canola products, yes, but also peas, as well as seafood and pork,” Moe said.

“It needs to start somewhere, and we’re suggesting it starts on the ground in China with our federal government, and we’re there to support them every step of the way.”

As for China not inviting Saskatchewan to discuss canola tariffs, Moe cited Angela Merkel, the former Chancellor of Germany, who travelled to China 16 times on a variety of trade missions – none of them at their invitation.

“We’re going to go to China, we’re hopeful that the federal government will have representation alongside of us, and we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to support them in putting an end to some of these trade tariffs that we see,” he added.

Moe, along with the federal government representatives, are expected to speak outside of the news conference after their meetings and provide more details on the upcoming trip.

— with files from 980 CJME’s Gillian Massie