OTTAWA, (Reuters) – Canada yesterday 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 pests, 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 telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd was arrested in Vancouver last December on a U.S. 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 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.”
