China Rejects Canadian Request on Canola Import Rule
China has rejected a Canadian request for a six-month delay in implementing a new rule requiring canola imports be certified free from blackleg disease, the China National Grain & Oils Information Center said.
The new rule is slated to become effective Nov. 15, it said in an e-mailed statement, citing the Canola Council of Canada. Discussions between the two sides are continuing this week, it said. Canada is the world’s largest canola exporter.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has said it will not be able to issue a certificate certifying shipments are free of blackleg, as it is a common plant disease of canola in Canada, the council said in a statement dated Nov. 2.
“China has not shown any willingness to consider blackleg risk mitigation steps developed by Canadian industry,” the statement said.
Canada exported over 10 million metric tons of canola to China in the last 10 years, the council said. Blackleg is a serious plant disease affecting canola and is caused by the fungus leptosphaeria maculans, according to the Government of Saskatchewan’s Web site. The disease can result in significant yield loss in susceptible varieties, it said.
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