[ad_1]
TORONTO – China has suspended the license of a second major Canadian canola exporter, undermining a $ 2 billion export sector, considered a retaliatory measure after the arrest by the US government. Canada's one of the main leaders of China's Huawei technology giant.
China's General Administration of Customs announced Tuesday on its website that officials have detected several dangerous organisms in shipments of canola seeds from Viterra Inc. According to the newspaper, the company's cargoes have been blocked to prevent the introduction of pests into China.
China announced earlier this month that it has stopped imports from Canada's other major canola exporter, Richardson International Ltd., citing contamination as well.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he could send a high-level delegation to China on the canola issue and acknowledged the "challenges" in Canada-Beijing relations.
China was made furious by the arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer, who intervened on December 1, under a US extradition warrant alleging fraud. She has since arrested several Canadian citizens on false charges according to the government.
"Obviously, they want to continue to punish us," said Guy Saint-Jacques, Canada's former ambassador to China.
Last year, Canada exported $ 2.1 billion worth of canola seed to China, by far its largest customer, accounting for 17% of all Canadian exports to China.
Viterra did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but industry representatives were skeptical as to why China had halted imports. Richardson denied claims of parasites from China.
"We are very puzzled as to how there can be a change in our canola between this week and eight weeks," said Brian Innes, Canola Council Spokesperson.
The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, daughter of Huawei's founder at Vancouver Airport, has resulted in the worst relations between Canada and China since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
"We are in a real mess because of the extradition request of the Americans," said Saint-Jacques. "This now represents billions of dollars in lost sales, it is important that the US government be more energetic and try to help us."
On December 10, China arrested two Canadians with the apparent goal of pressuring Canada to free Meng. A Chinese court also sentenced a Canadian to death at a new trial in December, quashing a 15-year prison sentence previously passed.
This is not the first time that Beijing has responded to a country that seemed to be crossing it.
In 2010, China suspended a bilateral trade agreement with Norway and restricted Norwegian salmon imports after the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese political prisoner Liu Xiaobo.
Britain and other countries have also retaliated against official meetings with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, considered by Beijing a dangerous separatist.
[ad_2]
Source link