A partner with Polar Pork suggests new Chinese tariffs on Canadian agricultural products and threatened U.S. tariffs have the potential to devastate Canadian agriculture.

Amid concerns related to new 100 percent Chinese tariffs on imported Canadian canola oil, canola meal and peas, 25 percent tariffs on Canadian pork, fish and seafood products and threatened U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports, Prime Minister Mark Carney has called an April 28th election.

Florian Possberg, a partner with Polar Pork, observes Canada hasn’t had a functioning parliament since before Christmas so our ability to respond has been hampered.

 “What we need are politicians that are sensitive to the real needs of Canadians and act in a way that we get some common-sense results of fixing these problems”

“Our provinces have been trying to backfill that lack of leadership but, if we were to negotiate with governors of states rather than the President, it’s just not that effective. Now we have an election call as of Sunday.”

“We’re going to have uncertainty until April 28th when we have an election and then it’s going to take a period of time for what ever government comes out of that election to get their feet on the ground.
As producers, as farmers we need strong advocates that are common sense and willing to negotiate with members of other countries that are common sense as well.

“The example of the Chinese electronic vehicles being used to hurt Canadian canola and pork producers, it’s really not fair and there needs to be a real effort to correct those kinds of injustices so what we need are politicians that are sensitive to the real needs of Canadians and act in a way that we get some common-sense results of fixing these problems.“

Possberg fears, if this instability continues, it will be very hurtful to Canadians, particularly our farmers.