Premier Scott Moe is blaming the federal Liberal government for what he calls “devastating Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola and seafood.”
Moe said the new tariffs could decimate Saskatchewan’s canola sector “in a matter of weeks, not months,” and warns that Atlantic Canada’s seafood industry could suffer similar damage.
Moe pointed to recent federal decisions around Chinese electric vehicles, arguing those measures provoked retaliatory tariffs from Beijing.
Moe said that a 100% tariff on canola meal exports will harm producers who have spent decades growing their crops and building international markets.
During a press conference, Moe highlighted how quickly trade conditions can shift, using the steel and aluminium tariffs that were added and removed on the same day as an example.
He says Canada must act just as swiftly to protect farmers and fishers.
According to Moe, the first step involves reaching out to federal cabinet ministers, then building up support with the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba, which are also feeling the pressure from the Chinese tariffs.
Moe insists Saskatchewan has developed a “robust and diverse economy,” yet he worries that trade barriers could derail this growth.
Calling it “a response to a policy decision by the federal government,” Moe wants Ottawa to work with China immediately and remove the crippling tariffs.
