The House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade met to study Canada-China trade relations, hearing from witnesses including Bijan Ahmadi of the Canada China Business Council, Michael Kovrig of StrategicEffects, Charles Burton as an individual, Dustin Pike and Brittany Wood of the Canadian Canola Growers Association, and Mehmet Tohti of the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project.
Bijan Ahmadi described China as Canada’s second-largest trading partner, supporting over 400,000 jobs, and welcomed recent tariff reductions on canola and other products following Prime Minister Carney’s January visit to China. He recommended using re-established bilateral mechanisms to address remaining trade barriers, providing clarity on investment policy, supporting Canadian business development in China, and improving visa processing efficiency to capitalize on renewed momentum.
Michael Kovrig argued that normalizing relations with China without accountability risks confirming that democracies yield to pressure, and that the Chinese Communist Party’s geo-economic strategy is aggressive mercantilism harmful to Canadian interests. He advised Parliament to scrutinize new agreements, move cautiously and transparently, and warned that short-term economic benefits must be weighed against asymmetric costs to security and sovereignty, disagreeing with Ahmadi’s more optimistic outlook.
Charles Burton stated that Canada’s exports to China represent only 3.8% of total global exports, and that the recent “strategic partnership” language aligns with Beijing’s goal of global dominance. He expressed concern about a memorandum on combatting crimes that could compromise RCMP data and techniques, and argued that temporary canola tariff reductions are not diplomatic victories but economic leverage that risks enabling espionage and foreign interference.
Dustin Pike, representing canola farmers, welcomed the tariff relief on canola seed and meal but noted that 100% tariffs on canola oil remain, and called for long-term predictable access. He emphasized the need for domestic market diversification through a stronger biofuel industry, urging the government to include concrete proposals for canola feedstock in regulatory amendments, and noted that success will be measured by reliable resumption of canola movement to China this spring.
Mehmet Tohti warned that expanding trade with China without strong safeguards risks complicity in forced labour, citing reports of 575 Chinese Communist Party-linked organizations in Canada and the detention of Canadian citizen Huseyin Celil for 20 years. He called for passage of Bill C-251 to align Canada’s forced labour import ban with the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, arguing this would strengthen Canada’s hand in CUSMA negotiations and prevent Canada from becoming a diversion market for banned goods.
Brittany Wood noted that market diversification is a long-standing industry strategy, with canola processing capacity expected to reach 75% of the crop by the end of 2026. She reiterated the importance of open and stable market access while emphasizing the domestic biofuel opportunity as a key part of reducing reliance on any single export market.
The committee briefly discussed a motion passed earlier in the week reminding the government to introduce legislation on forced labour imports, and members expressed support for Bill C-251.
AI-generated summary — may contain errors; verify against the official evidence.