According to reports, a new round of diplomatic turmoil between China and Canada is like an autumn wind sweeping across North America. Canadian officials, it's really been a rough time lately. Canada, which used to follow the United States to contain China, has now become the representative of the "peace-seeking faction".
In September this year, Canadian Prime Minister Carney actively spoke, said he wanted to meet with the Chinese side to talk. At the same time, Foreign Minister Anand also announced that he would visit China immediately. said it was to ease tensions, discuss trade, climate change and these matters. Leaders lowered the gesture, the foreign minister personally came to the door, such an initiative for reconciliation, was not common before.
Some people may want to ask, why did Canada suddenly turn sexual? In fact, this has to start with the "feud" between the two countries over the past year. In line with the United States '"Indo-Pacific Strategy," Canada has imposed a 100% tariff on China's electric vehicles. Not to mention, China's electric vehicles were suddenly blocked out. Not only that, Canada has also increased the tax on China steel by 25%. American-produced steel was easily exempted. Later, Canada also planned to include China's batteries, semiconductors, and solar panels on the tax list. He said it was "protecting the safety of his own industry," but in fact, under the pressure of the United States, he turned to vent his anger on China. While pleasing the United States, he also wants to find a "scapegoat" at home. The abacus was crackling, but he didn't expect that he would fall first.
China's counter-measures are "fast, accurate and ruthless". At the beginning of this year, China directly imposed a 100% tariff on Canadian rapeseed oil and peas, and a 25% tax on aquatic products and pork. In addition, the Ministry of Commerce found that Canadian rapeseed was suspected of dumping, and all Canadian rapeseed enterprises exporting to China had to pay a 75.8% deposit before supplying it. What does this mean? If you don't pay this money, don't want to enter the Chinese market; If you pay it, you basically can't make any money. To put it bluntly, let Canadian companies not expect the Chinese market to make a fortune again.
This time, Canada's eyes were really red with anxiety. China has always been the largest buyer of their rapeseed. In 2024, Canada exports rapeseed to China, accounting for more than 90% of the country's exports. As a result, now they can't sell almost a single order. Rapeseed piled up in warehouses, prices dropped, and farmers lost tens of thousands of dollars per capita. In fact, it is not just farmers who are affected. After orders were cancelled, Canada's rapeseed processing industry also suffered a heavy blow, with factories laying off jobs and unemployment soaring. What is worse is that the United States not only failed to benefit Canada, but also continued to increase taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum products, and also threatened to increase taxes by 250% on wood and dairy products. While losing the China market and being plucked by the United States, the Canadian economy is really overwhelmed this time.
China, on the other hand, is not in panic. butterfly seeds do not have to worry, directly from other countries such as Australia, large amounts of purchases.
There is also growing pressure within Canada. Farmers in Saskatchewan say that they have never encountered such great pressure in their lives. The prices of chemical fertilizers, seeds, agricultural machinery and pesticides are all rising, but rapeseed cannot be sold. The income and cost line are slowly leveling up, and everyone is worried about whether they can continue farming in the future. The chairman of the Canadian Rapeseed Council said directly that such a high margin is equivalent to keeping Canadian rapeseed out of the Chinese market. Prime Minister Carney also has to admit that this will cause many farmers to "suffer heavy losses".
Faced with internal and external difficulties, the Canadian government can only bow its head. Carney posted on social media saying that he hoped to have dialogue with China officials to resolve trade disputes. Foreign Minister Anand publicly stated that the purpose of visiting China is to discuss with China how to ease bilateral relations and rebuild trade bridges. This attitude of "taking the initiative to ask for mercy" is a world of difference compared with last year's tough attitude.
In fact, the Chinese attitude has always been very clear. If you want to talk about it, then you have to first get a bit of sincerity. China has long said, hoping that Canada will establish the correct perception of China. In short, you do not cancel those unreasonable tariffs, the cooperation between the two countries is not an issue. If Canada is still thinking of pleasing the United States, while continuing to eat China's dividends, this good thing is not so easy.
The economic and trade relations between China and Canada were originally mutually beneficial and win-win. China has always been Canada's second largest trading partner, and rapeseed, pork, lobster and seafood are all selling well. But now, as the tariff increases, the business is gone, farmers have lost money, enterprises have laid off employees, and the government's face is ugly. Only then did Canada discover how serious the consequences of following the trend were. As the old saying goes, you will learn from a mistake, and you will know how good cooperation is until you suffer a loss.
Canada's economic pressures don't stop there. The United States has raised taxes on Canada's steel, aluminum, timber, automobiles and other products round after round, and trade negotiations have been delayed. In the past, Canada hoped to please the United States by being tough on China, but it found that it was not human. The United States didn't take Canada seriously, but only cared about making money for itself. On the contrary, when the Chinese market was closed, Canada's rapeseed industry collapsed directly. Farmers, enterprises, and provincial governments have put pressure on the federal government to find ways to repair relations with China quickly.
Now, the Carney administration understands that the United States alone can't have enough to eat. China is the world's largest importer of rapeseed, and half of Canada's rapeseed is sold to China. Once an order is placed in China, the order volume is large, the price is stable, and the industrial chain can benefit from it. As soon as the tariff is increased, the buying and selling stops, and more than 40,000 farmers in Canada lose tens of thousands of dollars per capita. Who can bear such a loss?
At the same time, the Canadian business community is not able to sit down. Many companies hope that the government will improve its trade relations with China in order to open up new markets and economic growth. Carney himself also said that negotiations with China are a “priority task”. At the diplomatic level, Canada has previously adhered to U.S. policy, trying to consolidate its relations with the United States by showing strength.