The Premier of Manitoba, Heather Stefanson, on Sataurday sent a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, urging the federal government to lift the 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. In her letter, Stefanson stated that Canada’s tariff on Chinese electric vehicles had sparked a bilateral trade war, with particularly severe impacts on the Western Canadian economy.

China’s retaliatory measures have led to a sharp decline in canola seed prices and severely impacted the pork production industry. Stefanson noted that the current state of Canada-China relations is at a critical juncture and urged the Trudeau government to seize the opportunity.

Earlier, Scott Moe, the Premier of Saskatchewan, also publicly expressed his desire to see the tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles removed. Data from Saskatchewan revealed that canola seed exports to China in August dropped by 76% year-on-year.