Saskatchewan exports to China drastically fall amid Canada’s tariff dispute

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is again facing calls to stand up for farmers after new figures shows exports from the province to China have drastically fallen.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is again facing calls to stand up for farmers after new figures shows exports from the province to China have drastically fallen.

The Statistics Canada data released this week comes amid a trade dispute where Beijing has slapped tariffs on Canadian canola products, widely seen in response to Canada’s 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles.

The data shows Saskatchewan exported $96 million in goods to China in August, a 76 per cent drop when compared with the same month last year.

About 60 per cent of the province’s exports to China are farming and food products, and the data shows they’ve been declining since June.

Opposition NDP trade critic Aleana Young says the drop could hit the province’s economy and job market.

She says Moe needs to take a stronger position by advocating to have the electric vehicle tariffs removed.

“(Moe) should be on the phone every single day with the prime minister of Canada, making the case that these tariffs need to come off to help Saskatchewan’s economy,” she told reporters Wednesday.

“People are worried about the impact that this is going to have on their ability to keep crop in the bin, what this will mean for next year and whether they’re going to be in a position to keep their family farms going.”