China will start charging temporary customs duties on canola imports from Canada after a preliminary investigation found evidence of dumping that caused significant harm to the domestic industry.
Relations between China and Canada have been tense in recent years, with agriculture often affected. In March, Beijing imposed a 100 percent surcharge on Canadian rapeseed oil, peas, and animal feed products in response to Canadian tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
Canada, one of the largest canola producers in the world, exports mainly to the United States and China. However, trade tensions with both nations have recently intensified due to escalating tariff disputes.
The Chinese investigation, launched in September last year, concluded that Canadian canola imports caused “substantial damage” to local producers. Starting Thursday, these imports will face a 75.8 percent duty, collected as a deposit until measures are finalised.
On the same day, China’s commerce ministry also opened an anti-dumping investigation into Canadian pea starch imports. Authorities are also finalising preliminary duties on certain rubber products from Canada and Japan.
The probe into halogenated butyl rubber found that imports from these two countries harmed the Chinese industry, leading to duties of 13.8 to 40.5 percent from Thursday. Imports from India were exempted due to negligible volumes.