TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan representative in Canada Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) questioned the country’s vulnerability to Chinese canola tariffs in a media interview published Tuesday (Oct. 1).

Five years after China placed import limits on canola, Canada failed to diversify its export markets for the grain product, he told the Toronto Star. While saying he did not want to be “too harsh” on Canada, he wondered why industry and government had not learned from the earlier Chinese restrictions.

Beijing is considering new measures against Canada in response to Ottawa’s import tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, steel, and aluminum. However, China remains the second-largest export market for Canadian canola behind the United States, the report said.

Canada failed to learn from past Chinese tariffs to improve its own resiliency, Tseng said. He also called on Canada to be more vigilant against China’s attempts to meddle in domestic politics.

The Canadian government said it was working to diversify exports, looking for new markets in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Businesses were free to sell where they wanted, and China prefers high-quality canola from Canada, according to International Trade Minister Mary Ng.