Photo by Erika Rolling.

By Curtis Galbraith

Agriculture

“Shocking” one word Alberta Canola board chair uses to describe new Chinese tariff

Aug 13, 2025 | 6:00 AM

The board chair with Alberta Canola uses words like shocking, devastating, and not great news to wake up to, in describing a new tariff from China.

The country announced a 76 per cent tariff on Canadian canola seed after it conducted an anti-dumping investigation on Tuesday.

Valhalla Centre farmer Andre Harpe says tariffs are political.

“We provided a lot of numbers about how canola is grown and what it sold for. We provided those numbers to China, and we know we’re not dumping canola into China.”

Harpe says while the tariffs are bad for farmers here, they are also bad for people in China.

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He adds, alternatives are being looked at.

“Something that can be done relatively quickly is if we look at the renewable fuels market in Canada and the United States, particularly in Canada.”

“Right now, in Alberta, we have a three per cent mandate for renewable fuel in diesel. We’ve actually talked to the Alberta government and said, ‘You know, if you just raise that a couple per cent to five per cent, it will take a lot more canola.'”

Harpe says there are other international markets, but it takes time to build relationships and establish such markets.

The tariffs will be in place as of Thursday, August 14.

This comes on top of previous Chinese tariffs on canola meal and oil from Canada.

Harpe says the tariff comes as drought is leading to low yields and a sudden drop in prices.

“I would say right now, they’re probably going to be below average, but I’m still waiting and seeing.”

“It gets back to (that) we’re still a few weeks away from harvesting and I am really hopeful that it’s going to be closer to average than I think it is.”

Harpe says he has not yet heard much about farmers cutting crops for hay but thinks there will be some.

He adds, cattle people have told him that this is the second year of extreme drought and it is not good for pastures. Harpe says fall rain will be needed to keep the pastures going.