China is again ratcheting up trade pressure on Ottawa, threatening to stop all meat imports from Canada after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) notified officials in Beijing that it had discovered fake veterinary health certificates in some Canadian meat products.
China has already stopped imports from three Canadian pork producers over food safety issues as trade tensions between the two countries have escalated since the spring. CFIA says that it has notified its Chinese counterparts that it discovered faked veterinary certificates for some Canadian meat products bound for China.
A statement released by China's embassy in Ottawa said that a batch of pork from Canada was found to contain residues of ractopamine, a feed additive banned in many countries. Imports of pork from that facility were halted pending an investigation on the Canadian side.
The potential meat ban comes as world leaders gather for a G20 leaders’ summit in Japan. Leaders and bureaucrats from both Canada and China will attend the G20 meeting.
Relations between Canada and China have been tense since Chinese authorities detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor last December. The arrests were seen as retaliation for Canada's arrest of technology giant Huawei's Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, in Vancouver on an extradition request from the U.S.
