Manitoba farmers welcome China’s announcement that will significantly reduce tariffs on Canadian canola by March 1, 2026, following the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Beijing and meetings with President Xi Jinping. This development is a meaningful step forward for Manitoba’s canola sector and a clear signal that sustained, coordinated advocacy at both the provincial and national levels are delivering results.
Under the agreement announced this week, tariffs on Canadian canola seed imports are expected to be reduced to 15% as of March 1, 2026. At the same time, the current 100% tariffs on canola meal are expected to be removed entirely as of March 1, 2026, and remain off until at least the end of the calendar year. For farmers facing tight margins and volatile markets, this a step in the right direction to restore predictability at a critical planning moment.
Manitoba Canola Growers strongly supports free, open, and predictable trade for canola. For Canada’s $40-billion canola industry, access to China matters. In 2024 alone, Canadian exports of canola and canola products to China were valued at approximately $5 billion. In 2025, that number is expected to fall to less than half, a sharp reminder of how quickly trade disruptions ripple through farms, processors, and rural communities.
With most of the 2025 canola crop still stored on farm and planting decisions for 2026 only months away, we understand that farmers are looking for confidence in their ability to move product. Predictability is essential for marketing decisions and cash flow. It is clear that work remains but this announcement makes steps to restore that confidence.
From the beginning it was clear that the tariffs were a political issue requiring a political solution. Progress came through persistent engagement by provincial canola commodity associations, national canola organizations, advocacy groups and government working together toward a shared outcome: restoring market access and stability.
For Manitoba Canola Growers, the focus now is on follow-through. We will continue working with our partners to ensure these preliminary decisions translate into durable, predictable trade and real opportunity for Manitoba farmers.
CCC/CCGA Joint Press Release – Canola Industry Welcomes Significant Progress on Chinese Tariffs
Backgrounder – Preliminary Agreement-In-Principle to Address Economic and Trade Issues between Canada and the People’s Republic of China
