Canada and China agreed to keep market access for four Canadian farm and seafood exports until the end of 2028, giving producers added certainty as Canada pursues its export-growth target.
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) announced the extension Nov. 4 after a Beijing meeting of the Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETC). Separately, Canada will keep its existing remission measures in place until the end of 2028 for Chinese steel and aluminum products unavailable from Canadian manufacturers. The four exports covered are canola meal, peas, lobster and crab.
International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu co-led the meeting with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. It was the first JETC meeting held at the ministerial level. The commission is the main channel the two countries use to address bilateral economic and trade issues.
China was Canada’s second-largest single-country merchandise trading partner in 2025. Two-way trade was valued at $125.7 billion, including $35 billion in Canadian exports and $90.6 billion in imports, GAC said.
The current terms build on a preliminary trade arrangement announced during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Beijing visit in January 2026. Sidhu credited the initial arrangement with restoring Chinese access for Canadian beef and lowering tariffs on canola seed and meal, peas, lobster and crab. He cited more than 600,000 Canadian jobs supported by the industries involved and said the extended terms would make access to China more dependable for Canadian farmers and harvesters.
The Canadian government has tied predictable trade access to export diversification and aims to increase exports to China by 50% by 2030. Canadian exports to China rose 31.4% to $21.5 billion in the first half of 2026, GAC reported. Sidhu outlined the target before the meetings in earlier EconoTimes coverage of his China agenda. GAC said Ottawa will continue discussions with Beijing to identify ways to advance the goal.
