The House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade met to study Canada’s trade relationships with China and Qatar. Witnesses included Margaret McCuaig-Johnston (Senior Fellow, University of Ottawa, as an individual), Tyler Fulton (President, Canadian Cattle Association), Bill Prybylski (Director, Canadian Federation of Agriculture), Andrea Brocklebank (Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Cattle Association), Garry W.G. Clement (President and CEO, Clement Advisory Group, as an individual), Geoff Irvine (Executive Director, Lobster Council of Canada), and Edmund Fitton-Brown (Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies).
Margaret McCuaig-Johnston warned that importing 49,000 to 70,000 Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) per year poses national security risks due to Baidu software that collects data and sends it to China, as well as forced labour in their production, as documented by Human Rights Watch. She recommended replacing the Baidu software with BlackBerry’s QNX and urged the government to enforce forced labour provisions under CUSMA, noting that a key customs notice on forced labour had disappeared from the government website. She also advised against joint ventures in China, citing intellectual property theft, and suggested that any joint ventures in Canada should give the Canadian partner majority control.
Tyler Fulton stated that trade diversification adds value to Canadian beef, with China being a key market before its 2021 closure, and that regained access in January 2026 is expected to add $100 to $120 per animal. He highlighted opportunities in the Gulf region, including Qatar, but stressed the need for increased funding for halal accreditation and strong in-market support to gain a competitive advantage. He did not directly disagree with other witnesses but noted that China has not been a predictable market for beef.
Bill Prybylski emphasized that China is a critical market for Canadian agriculture, with tariffs costing producers around $800 million in the past 12 months, and welcomed tariff relief on canola seed, canola meal, and peas. He called for further relief on canola oil and pork tariffs, and urged diversification into markets like Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East, as well as expanding domestic value-added processing. He disagreed with the implication that Canada should avoid trading with China due to security concerns, arguing that farmers rely on stable market access.
Garry W.G. Clement argued that Canada must treat economic security as national security, warning that China’s state-linked actors, united front organizations, and intellectual property theft pose systemic risks, as seen in the collapse of Nortel. He recommended establishing a foreign registry with enforcement teeth, reducing the size of the Chinese embassy in Ottawa, and ensuring any trade agreements include safeguards against forced labour and espionage. He disagreed with the notion that Canada can engage in strategic partnerships with China without compromising security, and criticized the RCMP’s law enforcement agreement with Beijing as dangerous.
Geoff Irvine reported that lobster exports to China dropped 45% in 2025 due to tariffs, with competition from Australia and Vietnam, but noted a window to regain market position after Vietnamese stocks were wiped out by storms. He said Qatar is a very small market but sees opportunity in the Middle East, and emphasized that diversification from the U.S. and China is a high priority. He did not directly disagree with other witnesses but expressed concern about the temporary nature of China’s tariff relief.
Edmund Fitton-Brown cautioned that Qatari investment, while economically tempting, comes with strings attached, including support for Islamist agendas through Al Jazeera and sponsorship of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. He advised Canada to scrutinize investments in sensitive sectors like education and media, and to enforce rules on lobbying and foreign influence. He disagreed with any suggestion that Qatar should be boycotted, arguing that it is important to influence and control its activities rather than break off relations.
The committee debated a motion to report the evidence to the House, which was agreed to on division.
AI-generated summary — may contain errors; verify against the official evidence.