China will suspend additional tariffs on select Canadian agricultural and seafood products starting March 1, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation, the Chinese mainland's Ministry of Finance announced on Friday. The move follows high-level discussions during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's state visit to Beijing in January.
The tariff adjustments will eliminate a 100% additional duty on Canadian oilseed cake and peas, along with a 25% tariff on lobsters and crabs, through the end of 2026. These measures were initially implemented in March 2025 following an anti-discrimination investigation.
The ministry emphasized that the decision aligns with domestic laws including the Tariff Law and Foreign Trade Law, as well as international legal principles. Officials described the policy shift as a 'strategic step toward building resilient supply chains' between the two nations.
This development comes six weeks after Prime Minister Carney committed to allowing 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into Canada under most-favored-nation tariff terms. Analysts suggest the reciprocal measures signal warming economic relations ahead of the 2026 APEC Leaders’ Meeting.
Business groups have welcomed the tariff suspension, with seafood industry representatives projecting a 15-20% increase in Canadian exports to the Chinese mainland this year. The policy is expected to particularly benefit Canada's Atlantic provinces, where lobster fisheries employ over 30,000 workers.
