Looking forward to the promising future of China–Canada Agricultural Cooperation

By Mme. Liying Zhao,
Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Calgary

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, accompanied by Premier Scott Moe, paid a successful visit to China in January. During the visit, the two sides issued a joint statement, signed a series of important cooperation documents, and reached important consensus on advancing the China-Canada new strategic partnership. We outlined a roadmap for the next phase of economic and trade cooperation and made preliminary arrangements to address tariff issues of mutual concern, including those related to electric vehicles and agricultural products such as canola. In the agricultural sector, both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation in agriculture and food security and agreed to reactivate the China–Canada Joint Committee on Agriculture. With these positive developments, China–Canada agricultural cooperation is poised to enter a new stage of growth and opportunity.

I. China–Canada Agricultural Cooperation is time-honoured

Agricultural cooperation between China and Canada has deep roots. As early as the 1960s, China imported wheat and other grains from Canada thanks to the efforts of the leaders from both countries, including the then Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, a true son of Saskatchewan. These shipments helped ease food shortages in China at the time and laid a solid foundation for the development of our bilateral relationship. After the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1970, our agricultural cooperation steadily expanded. The two countries set up dialogue and coordination mechanisms, including the China–Canada Joint Committee on Agriculture. Through these platforms, we have strengthened exchanges in agricultural science and technology, livestock production, inspection and quarantine, and food security. Since the beginning of the 21st century, our agricultural trade has grown rapidly. China has become Canada’s second-largest trading partner in agricultural and food products, and the largest export market for Canadian canola. In 2024 alone, China imported 6.39 million tonnes of canola, 96% of which came from Canada. During the same period, China imported 2.75 million tonnes of canola meal, with 75% sourced from Canada. Unfortunately, the bilateral agricultural trade experienced a temporary decline in 2025 due to trade frictions. With the joint efforts to remove distractions, the China–Canada agricultural cooperation is showing clear signs of recovery and renewed momentum.

II.  China-Canada Agricultural Cooperation is mutually beneficial

China and Canada enjoy enormous potential for cooperation in agriculture, which stems not only from our long history of trade, but also from the strong complementarity between China’s market demand and Canada’s resource advantages. China is one of the world’s largest markets for agricultural products and food, with a population of approximately 1.4 billion and a middle-income group exceeding 400 million. China's consumer demand is shifting from simply having enough to eat to seeking food of high quality. As a result, demand continues to grow for premium oilseeds, beef and lamb, pork, seafood, and reliable supplies of grain and feedstock. Meanwhile, Canada has a highly export-oriented agricultural sector, with significant international competitiveness in wheat, canola, pulses, beef, pork, etc. Its agricultural growth relies heavily on international markets. A market as large and dynamic as China’s, with steadily expanding and evolving demand, carries long-term strategic significance for the sustainable development of Canada’s agricultural industry.

III. China–Canada Agricultural Cooperation has broad prospects

Looking ahead, the prospects for China–Canada agricultural cooperation are promising. Our cooperation should be comprehensive and multi-level, going beyond trade in individual products to extend across the full agricultural value chain, from production and technology to standards, services, and downstream industries. At the trade level, both sides should continue to strengthen cooperation in key products such as canola, wheat, beef, pork, and aquatic products, thereby reinforcing the solid foundation of our partnership. In the areas of technology and research, China and Canada can expand collaboration in post-secondary education, as the University of Saskatchewan is a recognized institution of agricultural excellence, as well as agricultural equipment, crop breeding, and smart agriculture, with the goal of improving productivity and product quality. With regard to standards and regulatory alignment, the two sides can make full use of the China–Canada Joint Committee on Agriculture to enhance communication and coordination in areas such as animal and plant quarantine and food safety supervision, reducing the risk of trade frictions. In addition, both countries can work together to promote value-added processing of agricultural products, develop cold-chain logistics and cross-border supply chains, and strengthen cooperation in sustainable and green agriculture, thereby advancing high-quality agricultural development.

Agricultural cooperation is not only an important component of the China-Canada new strategic partnership, but also a key pillar supporting its continued development. By strengthening collaboration in agriculture, we can further enhance mutual trust in economic and trade relations and lay a solid foundation for our new strategic partnership to move forward in a more pragmatic, sustainable, and high-quality direction.