(File photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

China to resume imports of Canadian canola, sources report

Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters — China has agreed to allow imports of Canadian canola to resume, two sources briefed on the matter told Reuters on Tuesday, lifting a ban in place since March 2019 that had halted US$2 billion worth of trade. The agreement was reached during a call held by China’s customs administration and Canada’s […] Read more

File photo of piglets at a hog operation in China. (KuLouKu/iStock/Getty Images)

China encourages firms to raise pigs overseas

Officials aim to plug domestic pork shortage

Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters — China said Monday it is encouraging companies to build pig farms overseas to plug a severe domestic pork shortage after a worse-than-ever African swine fever slashed almost half of its pig herd. China has urged local authorities to support qualified domestic firms to “go out,” and build hog farming bases in […] Read more


A cargo ship is loaded with Brazilian soybeans bound for China. (Photo: Reuters/Paulo Whitaker)

Trade deal will not affect China’s other ag suppliers, Liu says

Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters — China’s other suppliers of agricultural commodities will not be impacted by the Sino-U.S. trade deal since buying will be based on market principles, Vice-Premier Liu He said, according to a report from state-owned CCTV on Thursday. Liu was speaking on Wednesday at a press briefing after signing the Phase One trade […] Read more

A BASF scientist examines transgenic corn plants. (BASF.com)

China approves two new GM crops from U.S. for import

Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters — China approved two new genetically modified (GM) crops for import on Monday that could boost agricultural purchases from the United States, while renewing permits for 10 others, the Chinese agriculture ministry said. Earlier this month, Beijing and Washington announced a Phase 1 trade deal, under which China has agreed to import […] Read more


U.S. President Donald Trump talks to China’s Vice Premier Liu He during their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House after two days of trade negotiations in Washington, Oct. 11, 2019. Photo: Reuters/Yuri Gripas

Beijing’s refusal to order U.S. farm buys becomes pain point

Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington/Beijing/Reuters – U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand that Beijing commit to big purchases of American farm products has become a major sticking point in talks to end the Sino-U.S. trade war, according to several people briefed on the negotiations. Trump has said publicly that China could buy as much as $50 billion of U.S. farm […] Read more

U.S. President Donald Trump appears with China’s President Xi Jinping at the start of their bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka on June 29, 2019. (File photo: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

U.S. farmers suffer ‘body blow’ as China slams door on farm purchases

Reading Time: 3 minutes Beijing | Reuters — Chinese companies have stopped buying U.S. agricultural products, China’s commerce ministry said on Tuesday, a blow to U.S. farmers who have already seen their exports slashed by the more than year-old trade war. China may impose additional tariffs on U.S. farm products bought shortly before the purchase ban took effect, China’s […] Read more


Even with exemption, U.S. soy can’t compete with Brazil, say traders.
 Photo: Reuters/Paulo Whitaker

China’s soy crushers in no rush to buy from U.S.

Reading Time: 3 minutes Beijing | Reuters – Despite the carrot of a potential exemption from import tariffs, Chinese soybean crushers are unlikely to buy in bulk from the United States any time soon as they grapple with poor margins and longer-term doubts about Sino-U.S. trade relations, people familiar with the matter said. China imposed a 25 per cent […] Read more




(Aodaodaod/iStock/Getty Images)

Canadian farm exports hit new Chinese obstacles amid diplomatic dispute

Reading Time: 4 minutes Winnipeg/Beijing | Reuters — An expanding list of Canadian farm exports is hitting obstacles at Chinese ports, leaving sellers of soybeans, peas and pork scrambling amid a bitter diplomatic dispute. China has already blocked Canadian canola from Richardson International and Viterra, two of Canada’s biggest farm exporters, saying that shipments had pests. Other China-bound canola […] Read more