However, both South Korea and the Philippines lifted the restrictions less than two months later, while China — which in 2021 was Canada’s third-largest beef export market, importing $193 million worth of product — has still not resumed trade.
Adding to the confusion, Laycraft said, is the fact that both Brazil and Ireland have also recently had their beef blocked by China due to cases of atypical BSE in those countries. But China has resumed beef trade with both of those countries, and it took only a short time — in the case of Brazil, only four weeks.Article content
“We certainly don’t believe there’s, on that side, any reason for it not to be. They just, you know, haven’t responded.” The renewed tensions have even led the canola industry to express concern that China will retaliate to Canada’s expulsion of its diplomat by blocking agricultural shipments. However, he said the fact that China has lifted similar restrictions against beef imports from other countries suggests that at some level, politics is likely playing a role in the delay. Houlden added that while it’s hard to know for certain what China’s motivation is on any given issue, it’s fair to say that Canada’s current relationship with China is frosty enough that Beijing is unlikely to make an effort to fast-track the beef issue.