In no particular order, we present the Top 10 Stories of 2022. Here’s the third.
China reinstated canola seed import access for Richardson International and Viterra in May after more than three years.
“We welcome this decision to remove the restrictions and immediately reinstate the two companies to allow them to export Canadian canola seeds,” Mary Ng, minister of international trade, export promotion, small business and economic development, and Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food, said in a statement.
“We will continue to work with Canadian canola farmers, businesses, exporters, and their communities to defend their interests and support their success at home and in markets abroad, including China.”
The market access restrictions were put in place in March 2019, with China first placing restrictions on Richardson and then later on Viterra. At the time China said the restrictions were due to quarantine pests being found in canola seed deliveries from the two companies. However, it was widely viewed that the restrictions were retaliation for Canada detaining Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese executive for Huawei, on a United States arrest warrant.
Wanzhou was released from house arrest in Vancouver, B.C. in September 2021 and returned to China. Following her return China released two Canadians, businessman Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig, who had been detained after Wanzhou’s arrest.
