Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe heads to China Sept. 6 to talk trade amid canola fight

REGINA – Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he leaves in two weeks to talk trade in China as his province grapples with punishing tariffs on canola.

Moe’s office says the six-day trip, starting Sept. 6, will be the first time in six years that a Canadian premier has led a trade mission to China.

Moe has invited Prime Minister Mark Carney and other federal ministers to join him on the trip, which also includes a stop in Japan.

The stakes are high.

China imposed a nearly 76 per cent tariff on canola seed last week, slashing by millions of dollars the value of one of Canada’s — and Saskatchewan’s —most valuable crops.

Canola has been at the centre of a trade dispute between Canada and China that has also seen China unhappy with Canada’s 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles.

While Moe is in China, Saskatchewan Trade Minister Warren Kaeding will lead a three-day mission to South Korea before joining Moe in Japan.

“Saskatchewan has expressed urgency to the federal government and been clear that we need to see action now to support the over 200,000 people across Canada’s canola industry,” Moe said in a statement Friday.

“That’s why we are leading through this mission, reinforcing future trade opportunities and engaging with China on these temporary duties before it’s too late.” 

The government says the province’s exports to Asia exceeded $10 billion in 2024, with exports to China making up $4.4 billion of that figure.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2025.