Just one year after the 2008 outreach, China began restricting Canadian canola imports, citing pest contamination. In reality, it appeared to be a reminder that raising human rights concerns alongside trade was unwelcome. In 2016, China threatened to tighten restrictions on canola again by lowering the allowable dockage rate, another pressure tactic. In 2019, it blocked large shipments of canola in response to the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, and restricted imports of Canadian pork and beef. Most recently, Beijing imposed a 100 per cent tariff on Canadian canola after Ottawa introduced tariffs on PRC electric vehicles, a measure Canada has since reduced.








