China has been blocking beef shipments from Canadian processing plants ever since an atypical case of BSE, or mad cow disease, was found on an Alberta farm in December of 2021.At the time, Canadian officials expressed little concern that the case would have lasting market impacts.
"Most countries do not close when you find an atypical case," said Dennis Laycraft, executive vice-president for the Canadian Cattle Association. Laycraft said he doesn't know what the sticking point is when it comes to Canada, adding only that he doesn't believe there is a scientific explanation. In 2019, China blocked canola shipments from two major Canadian companies, not long after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested by Canadian authorities. That ban lasted for three years.
But Gordon Houlden, director emeritus of the China Institute at the University of Alberta, said the beef industry's ongoing issue demonstrates that some of Ottawa's trade challenges with Beijing are pre-existing. "I think we can surmise that right now politics is not in a position to help solve the problem, and in fact may be part of the problem," Houlden said.