China is again ratcheting up its trade actions against Canada.
The Chinese government has announced that it is banning all imports from a Canadian pork company, citing food safety issues. This is the latest retaliatory move by China following the arrest in Canada last December of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou at the request of the U.S. China has so far retaliated by arresting two Canadians, suspending the permits of two other Canadian pork importers and halting all purchases of Canadian canola seeds.
Xinhua, the Chinese state media, says that customs authorities in the eastern city of Nanjing found traces of ractopamine, a feed additive banned in many countries, in pork products from Canadian pork exporter Frigo Royal. It said China is suspending all imports from Frigo Royal and ceasing to accept health certificates issued by the company's veterinary officer.
According to Xinhua, China's Customs Administration will also increase the number of inspections for ractopamine in other pork imports from Canada. China said it would open all containers of Canadian meat and meat products and, in some cases, 100% of the contents will be inspected. China has also halted pork imports from two other Canadian producers, Olymel LP and Drummond Export, because of what it called "labeling problems."
