China is not a market Canada can rely on

Opinion

In terms of export markets, China has been the holy grail for agricultural commodity producers. Whether it’s pork, beef, canola or wheat, the demand that China’s growing middle class offers presents massive opportunities for Canadian farmers. Likewise in the U.S., farmers south of the border have relied heavily on export growth into China as domestic productivity has risen. According to Statistics Canada, Canada’s agri-food and seafood exports to China were valued at $8.1 billion in 2017. Top exports were canola seed, soybeans, canola oil, dried peas, and canola oil cake. In 2017, Canada registered an agri-food and seafood trade surplus…