A combine harvester empties canola into a grain cart on a farm near Clandeboye, Manitoba, in September.Shannon Vanraes/Reuters
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is calling on Ottawa to prioritize agriculture in Western Canada and keep the country united as Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand heads to China to tackle the trade war.
Mr. Kinew wants an end to the 78.5-per-cent tariffs Beijing levied against canola in August and the 25-per-cent levies on pork, launched in March. Around $3.6-billion worth of Manitoba pork and canola was sold last year, and China is a top export market for both industries.
On Friday, Chinese Ambassador Wang Di said Beijing was prepared to drop its agricultural tariffs if Ottawa removes its 100-per-cent levies on Chinese-made electric vehicles, a policy that came into effect in October, 2024, and one which sparked Beijing’s reciprocal tariffs on agricultural goods.
“We need to have a strong Team Canada approach,” Mr. Kinew said. “Which means taking action to protect the auto industry and protecting Western Canada’s agricultural industry as well.”
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Mr. Kinew’s calls to reconsider the EV tariff were echoed by Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who said on LinkedIn that China is sending a “clear signal” and Ottawa should “get this deal done.”
But Ottawa is torn between provinces as other premiers also fight to protect their own economies and workers.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew speaks in Winnipeg, in September.JOHN WOODS/The Canadian Press
Ottawa’s tariffs on Chinese EVs last year was implemented after the U.S. took the same steps. The move was intended to protect a North America-wide auto manufacturing industry.
Conceding to Chinese demands might ignite retaliation from U.S. President Donald Trump, and could result in tariffs on Ontario’s auto manufacturing sector.
The industry has faced the threat of tariffs from their largest market – the U.S. – since February, and it has come at a steep cost. Stellantis on Tuesday said it would be moving its production of the Jeep Compass from Brampton, Ont., to Illinois. The plant had stood idle since 2023. Work on retooling for new vehicles paused in February after Mr. Trump announced tariffs on Canadian auto imports.
“There’s no damn way we should drop tariffs on China,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said during an event at the Empire Club of Canada on Tuesday night, noting that Ontario auto manufacturing employs 157,000 people.
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During a news conference on Tuesday, B.C. Premier David Eby also said his province has major concerns about U.S. tariffs and duties on softwood lumber. “We have to be way more aggressive to make sure that we get our message heard,” he said.
Mr. Kinew recognized the real concerns from the auto manufacturing sector, but said Western Canada’s agricultural industry has for too long taken a back seat to demands from other parts of the country.
“Something concrete coming out of the visit to China would be a welcome sign that the agricultural industry is factoring into federal decision making,” he said. “And we’re not just on the periphery of an all-consuming focus on the auto industry.”
Federal financial aid for farmers is also needed, Mr. Kinew said, adding that one Manitoba pork processor is on track to lose $19-million annually owing to Chinese tariffs. He’d also like to see immigration policy make more room for agriculture – a sector facing labour shortages.
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Early September, Ottawa announced a temporary increase to interest-free loans available to farmers, in addition to some biofuel production incentives and amendments to the Clean Fuel Regulations to support domestic demand for the canola used in renewable fuel production.
Industry associations representing canola farmers and processors slammed the measures, saying they fell woefully short of the supports needed to tackle the trade disruption.
“I want to work with the federal government in figuring out how we can bring relief to our farmers and our manufacturers in a way that also helps Ontario,” Mr. Kinew said. “So lets get to it.”
With reports from Brent Jang