Prospect of U.S.-China trade deal creates access worries for Canadian farmers
products has punished some farmers, and now industry leaders are
worrying about the prospect of a broader threat — an eventual U.S.-China
trade deal.
Canadian exports of beef, pork, canola and soybeans
have largely been locked out of the massive Chinese market following the
December arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver. Meng was
detained on an extradition request by the United States, a move that
angered Beijing and has dealt a severe blow to Canada-China relations.
But
a few Canadian crops have had stronger sales to China over the past
year. The trade fight between the world’s two largest economies has, for
example, helped contribute to a surge in Canadian wheat exports to
China since Beijing imposed tariffs on American products.
There
are industry fears about what could come next — what will happen to
Canadian farm exports if U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese
President Xi Jinping eventually strike a deal?