China launches investigation into Canada for rapeseed dumping

Beijing. China announced on Tuesday the opening of an investigation anti-dumping on Canadian rapeseed, in apparent retaliation for Ottawa’s new restrictions on imports of Chinese electric vehicles.

China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement that Canadian exporters are “suspected of dumping” products in the Chinese market and that “China’s domestic rapeseed industries continue to suffer losses under unfair competition from the Canadian side.”

In response, he said, the ministry “will launch an anti-dumping investigation into rapeseed imported from Canada, in accordance with the law.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in August that he would impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, accusing Beijing of “not playing by the same rules as other countries” on issues such as environmental and labor standards.

The United States and the European Union have also imposed tariffs of 100 percent and 36 percent respectively on Chinese electric vehicles, arguing that Beijing subsidizes their manufacturers, which flood foreign markets to the detriment of local competitors.

China has criticized the imposition of the tariffs and launched several retaliatory investigations.

According to the Chinese ministry, its industries recently reported that Canadian rapeseed exports “increased significantly” to reach $3.47 billion in 2023, while prices “continue to fall.”