Tod MaffinCanadian Commentator, From Far and Wide · Emotional Support Canadian

Pork, Peas, and Payback: China to Hit Canada with 100% Tariffs #tradewar #tariffs

8 Mar 2025 · 2 min

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2:23

In this video, Tod Maffin explains that China announced 100% tariffs on Canadian canola oil and peas, and a 25% tariff on pork, set to take effect in two weeks. China frames these as counter‑tariffs to Canada’s recent duties on Chinese electric vehicles, aluminum, and steel—measures that were announced in August and implemented in October, and that mirror similar actions by the EU and the United States against perceived Chinese overcapacity. Maffin traces the roots of the dispute back to 2019, when Canada arrested the CFO of a major Chinese tech firm on a U.S. warrant related to alleged Iran‑sanctions violations. In retaliation, China blocked imports of Canadian canola, pork, and beef, citing quality or health concerns, which caused a 70% drop in canola shipments and disrupted Canada’s pork market. Canada is the world’s largest producer of canola and a top exporter of pork and yellow peas—an essential ingredient for China’s plant‑based protein industry. Maffin argues that China now sees Canada as vulnerable, especially as the United States threatens its own tariffs, and is using these agricultural tariffs to exert pressure, warning that the trade relationship is about to become turbulent.

Chapters

Hey, it's Saturday and look, the tariffs are back on and now they're literally at 100% and they are from China. China. China. Yes, China announced tariffs last night against Canada. Canola oil, peas, 25% on pork among other things. They take effect in 2 weeks. I'll break all 3 of those down in just a second, but China says that they are counter tariffs against fees that Canada now charges on Chinese electric cars, aluminum, and steel. But those tariffs, our tariffs, are announced in August and put in place in October, almost a half year ago. Also, Canada was not the only jurisdiction to slap that tariff on electric cars. The EU and the United States did as well, as a protest against what they say is China's state-directed policy of overcapacity. All of which begs the question: what the actual fuck is going on? History is what's going on. Let's start with canola oil. Canada is the largest producer of canola, and China was our biggest market until 2019. That's when they blocked imports, claiming the quality had gone down, but it was more likely because we arrested the CFO of a big Chinese tech company. Something not a lot of people know is that she was arrested by Canadian police on an American warrant. The Americans wanted her because they claimed her company violated sanctions against Iran. It was that dispute that caused Canadian canola exports to China to drop by more than 70%. Pork. In 2019, China blocked all pork and beef exports from Canada. They again claimed it was a health issue, that Canadian vets were forging their licenses or some such nonsense, but it was also because of that arrest. Eventually China backed down, but China was Canada's top pork market. When they want to hurt Canada, they go after pork. And peas. Canada is actually one of the world's top exporter of yellow peas, which are really important in China's plant-based protein industry. Many Chinese companies, including those producing plant-based meat substitutes, rely on Canadian peas because of their high protein content and their purity. So why this? Why now? Because China believes Canada is more vulnerable and would feel this more now that American tariffs are a threat. China is Canada's second largest trading partner. Buckle up, it's about to get bumpy.