Sask. premier warns that Chinese tariffs on canola would be ruinous
Social Sharing
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe lashed out at American and Chinese tariffs on Wednesday, saying they will have a devastating impact on Saskatchewan workers.
"Make no mistake — a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese canola and meal exports, alongside the challenge that we're seeing in the United States with the on and off again tariffs on various products, will decimate the canola industry in Saskatchewan," Moe said at the annual Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) conference in Saskatoon on Wednesday.
"Immediately. In a matter of a number of weeks, not months."
China has announced that it will impose 100 per cent retaliatory tariffs targeting canola, as well as other Canadian goods like seafood and pork.
The decision comes in response to Canada's 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles and a 25 per cent levy on Chinese aluminum and steel products imposed on Oct. 1.
The Chinese tariffs are scheduled to kick in on March 20, just a day after the Saskatchewan budget is set to be introduced in the provincial legislature.
"I'm not sure you're going to hear the budget speak specifically to this, but you're gonna hear the Saskatchewan government speak specifically to this," Moe said.
The premier said no one wants to buy Chinese electric vehicles in Canada, and moving to protect Canadian and American car industries is directly harming agriculturally-based provinces like Saskatchewan.
Moe's ire was not just focused on the incoming Canola tariffs. On Wednesday morning, 25 per cent tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum to the United States officially came into force.
In response, the Canadian government announced a new set of 25 per cent tariffs on $29.8 billion worth of American imports. They include $12.6 billion worth of steel products, $3 billion worth of aluminum products and $14.2 billion worth of other goods. They are ti go into effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Thursday.
Those new tariffs are on top of the federal government's first retaliatory tariffs announced earlier this month, which applied to $30 billion worth of American goods and are to be increased to $155 billion at the end of March. The federal government said they will remain in place until all American tariffs are lifted.
Moe confirmed that Saskatchewan's retaliatory measures announced last week will also remain in place. They include blocking the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) from buying and distributing U.S.-made alcohol, and pausing future government capital projects to assess how American contractors and suppliers could be minimized.
"Things are changing literally by the hour," Moe said. "And we've seen that over the course of the last number of weeks. So a calm hand is necessary."
Aleana Young, the Saskatchewan NDP's economy and jobs critic, said at a separate news conference in Regina on Wednesday that the government should prioritize Canadian steel manufacturers.
"Stop using steel from outside of Canada, stop using cheap Chinese steel, stop using U.S. companies when it comes to building projects here in Saskatchewan," Young said.
More than half of Saskatchewan's exports go to the United States, totalling about $26.7 billion in 2024. About three quarters of those were from one of four products: crude oil, potash, canola oil and uranium.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2024 Saskatchewan exported $387 million worth of iron and steel products and $26 million worth of aluminum to the United States.
Regina is home to one of 13 steel plants in Canada. It's run by Ervaz plc, a steel manufacturing and mining company based in the United Kingdom.
According to United Steelworkers Local 5890 President Mike Day, about 30 per cent of the steel produced at the facility is shipped to a sister plant in the U.S.
"Right now everything is up in the air and we don't know what the next move is," said Patrick Veinot, a staff representative for United Steelworkers. "It's important that we get together and we discuss it. All parties, all stakeholders. That includes finance, that includes business, that includes the unions, you know, as organized labour.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
6 minutes ago
- CBC
Continued failure to consult on uranium exploration a harmful mistake: Mi'kmaw chiefs
Social Sharing Nova Scotia's continued failure to consult with First Nations on uranium exploration is a mistake that will further erode the province's relationship with Mi'kmaw communities, says the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs and a lawyer from Sipekne'katik First Nation. Pictou Landing First Nation Chief Tamara Young said the Mi'kmaw people were neither consulted nor notified when Nova Scotia introduced then passed a bill that opens the province up to potential uranium mining and fracking. "The lack of consultation is unacceptable and goes against the UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)," Young said in a statement to The Canadian Press on Wednesday. The assembly has said they will continue to oppose both uranium exploration and hydraulic fracturing until their environmental concerns have been addressed. The provincial government added uranium to its list of priority critical minerals May 14, and it issued a request for exploration proposals for three sites with known deposits of the heavy metal. Interested companies had until Wednesday to submit their proposals. U.S. tariff consideration Premier Tim Houston has said the legislative changes are needed to help the province withstand economic challenges from American tariffs. "We recognize there are international pressures and influences affecting our economy, but any resource development in Mi'kma'ki must include our consent and participation as we are the rightful owners of these lands, waters and resources," Young said in the statement, speaking as co-lead of the environment, energy and mines portfolio on behalf of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs. Rosalie Francis, a Mi'kmaw lawyer whose firm is based out of Sipekne'katik First Nation, said the province risks further damaging their relationship with Mi'kmaw communities and sabotaging the potential uranium industry by failing to consult adequately and early. "By choosing not to consult, it scares away investors, destroys the relationship and gets us back to starting at zero," Francis said in an interview Tuesday. Why Nova Scotia's history with uranium mining is complicated 4 months ago Duration 3:28 The Nova Scotia government has announced it will lift blanket bans for future natural resource development, allowing for future uranium research. The decision is a big change in course for a province that hotly debated developing a uranium industry 40 years ago and again in 2008. "It all comes down to trust, and this completely diminishes any kind of trust." Meanwhile, four municipalities have recently called on the government to slow down its push for uranium exploration. 3 plots of land opened for uranium proposal Pictou County was the first to do so, followed by the West Hants Regional Municipality, the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg and the Municipality of the County of Annapolis. Each council is asking the province for an indefinite delay to allow for consultations and information sessions. Nova Scotia has opened up three plots of land for uranium project proposals: an 80-hectare site in Louisville in Pictou County; a 64-hectare site in East Dalhousie in Annapolis County; and a 2,300-hectare site in Millet Brook in Hants County. Much of this is on private land. The government has previously said companies selected by the province would have to seek permission from landowners to explore. However, Section 26 of the province's Mineral Resources Act allows the natural resources minister to intervene if there is a stalemate. A spokesperson with the Department of Natural Resources said if a company decides it wants to develop a mine on one of these sites, then there is duty to consult with Mi'kmaw communities. Francis said that position is backwards, and is not in line with case law on the matter. "It's been clear that duty to consult begins when, in the minds of government, they're anticipating activity that will affect rights," Francis said, adding that should happen before a company has made a decision on the site. Alton Gas Lessons The lawyer said it would appear the province has not learned from the fallout of the Alton Gas cavern project, which was officially scrapped in fall 2021. The Alberta energy company abandoned its plan to create huge salt caverns north of Halifax to store natural gas more than 13 years after starting construction. The company said at the time the project experienced challenges and delays, referring to opposition the project faced from Indigenous protesters and allies who opposed the company's plan to remove large, underground salt deposits by flushing them out with water from the nearby Shubenacadie River. The plan also called for dumping the leftover brine into the tidal river, where it would flow into the Bay of Fundy. In March 2020, a decision by the Nova Scotia Supreme Court ordered the province to resume consultations with Sipekne'katik First Nation on the matter and determined the former environment minister was wrong when she concluded the province had adequately consulted with the First Nation about the project. "The province should have walked away from that decision and said, 'OK, lesson learned.' The project never went forward. All the gas investors looked at it and said, 'This is just a mess now. Let's just walk away,"' Francis said. The lawyer said it will be telling in the coming weeks if the province chooses to engage with Mi'kmaw communities or "if the province will march along in the same way it did before." "Either we'll have a success story or we'll have another Alton Gas play out," she said. Canada-wide trend Shiri Pasternak, a criminology professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and co-investigator of a research project called Infrastructure Beyond Extractivism, said the situation in Nova Scotia mirrors the expedited extraction movement that's happening across the country. "What's happening to the Mi'kmaq in Nova Scotia is really proliferating as an attack on Indigenous and environmental rights across the country right now," she said in an interview Tuesday. Pasternak said Nova Scotia is one of several provinces working to speed up extraction and development projects — moves that are supported by the federal government. "We have this sweep of fast-tracked legislation and policy changes to the Environment Assessment Act, both provincially in Nova Scotia and in other places, but also federally in terms of the Impact Assessment Act in order to expedite development and extraction — most of which will be against the desires and the consent of Indigenous people across the country."
Toronto Star
15 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
$30B in new investments needed to meet Canada's critical mineral demand: report
TORONTO - A newly released report estimates Canada will need at least $30 billion in new capital investments by 2040 if it wants to meet domestic demand for the critical minerals key to a green economy transition. But the Canadian Climate Institute's report says cutting back on environmental safeguards and Indigenous consultation to speed up those projects is likely to backfire. The report released Thursday says those cutbacks can lead to delays later on, due to community opposition or litigation. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The think tank's latest report comes as the federal government, along with Ontario and British Columbia, face major pushback from First Nations and environmental groups to legislation intended to speed up mining project approvals. The report says Canadian governments should support Indigenous participation and reduce environmental risks as part of efforts to reduce regulatory delays. It says Canada has a big opportunity to capitalize on the surging domestic and global demand for critical minerals to build the batteries, solar panels and electric vehicles required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It estimates domestic demand alone for six key critical minerals, including lithium and copper, will reach $16 billion by 2040 if Canada keep up its climate policies, with almost half of that coming from EV manufacturers. To meet that demand, the think tank estimates Canadian mining projects will need a total of $30 billion in capital investments, and even more if the industry wants to help satiate international demand too. The report says that's also likely a lowball figure since it excludes major cost overruns that often plague mining projects. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The estimated domestic need 'vastly exceeds' current investment in the sector, which averaged about $2 billion per year from 2018 to 2023, the report said. The report suggests there's a role for governments to step in to support the sector with either equity investments or financial risk-sharing agreements. But it should not come at the expense of Indigenous consultation or environmental oversight, the authors say. 'Successful projects that are being developed fast are the ones that have participation from Indigenous communities, that have adhered to the highest environmental standard,' said co-author Marisa Beck, the think tank's clean growth research director. Critics say recently passed Bill 15 in B.C. and Bill 5 in Ontario gives those provinces sweeping powers to exempt mining projects from environmental oversight and undermines constitutional obligations to consult First Nations. The provincial governments disagree and say the legislation will help speed up approvals without sacrificing First Nations rights or environmental protections. Ottawa has also faced pushback to its legislation intended to speed up infrastructure approvals. The authors of Thursday's report declined to comment on the specifics of those legislative efforts, but it did put forward several policy recommendations. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Governments should also support Indigenous communities exercising their right to self-determination and economic participation, such as through funding for Indigenous-led environmental assessments, the report says. Elsewhere, the report recommends provinces strengthen mining regulations to reduce environmental risks and liabilities, such as requiring producers to make their closure plans publicly available. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
Japan Forward
21 minutes ago
- Japan Forward
Need a Job? Who's a Target for Chinese Spies
On February 6, this notice appeared on a Washington DC job board: Job Opportunities for Recently Laid-Off US Government Employees Wavemax Innovation Co, Ltd The linked advertisement included the following language: As many dedicated public servants are facing job transitions, we are proud to extend a warm invitation to those affected by recent layoffs to explore exciting new career opportunities with us. At Wavemax Innovation Co, Ltd, we value the experience, skills, and commitment that government employees bring to the workforce. We are actively seeking talented professionals with backgrounds in project management, research, technology, communications, policy analysis, etc to join our team. Wavemax Innovation claims to be a Singapore-based company. But according to a May 16 report by Max Lesser, a senior analyst on emerging threats at the Washington-based think tank Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), it is likely a dummy company. And it is part of a broader network of websites, LinkedIn pages, and job advertisements from fake consulting and headhunting firms used by Chinese intelligence to target former government employees and artificial intelligence researchers worldwide. The US National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) recently warned that foreign intelligence services are posing as recruiters and headhunting firms on professional networking platforms to gather information. And it is hardly a problem limited to the United States. In 2017 German intelligence reported that China used LinkedIn to target at least 10,000 Germans as potential intelligence sources. Thereafter, in 2019 French authorities claimed that more than 4,000 French citizens had been contacted by Chinese operatives via social media. In 2023 British intelligence pegged the number of Britons approached by active Chinese state actors on LinkedIn at 20,000. The situation in Japan is probably not much different. Consider, for example, that nearly 100,000 Japanese are still living in China, although the social media approach likely differs. Aldrich Ames was a CIA analyst who famously sold US secrets to the Soviet Union and Russia. He was convicted of espionage in 1994. (Public domain image) One case is that of Kevin Mallory. He was recruited in 2017 by a Chinese intelligence officer posing as a headhunter on LinkedIn. The former CIA officer, who had fallen $230,000 USD into debt and was late on his mortgage, eventually agreed to spy for China. Later, the FBI and National Counterintelligence and Security Center produced a film ( The Nevernight Connection - FBI ) loosely inspired by the Mallory affair. However, it hardly captures the gravity of his crime. Mallory even gave his Chinese handlers highly classified information about US intelligence officers who were scheduled to go to China. As one of the US attorneys who prosecuted the case put it, "Mallory not only put our country at great risk, but he endangered the lives of specific human assets who put their own safety at risk for our national defense." The Nevernight Connection is a fictional account about a former US intelligence community official who was targeted by a Chinese agent via a professional networking site. It explains how he was recruited to turn over classified information and ended up arrested. Frankly, the plot is rather ludicrous in some respects. For example, the main character ー despite being a former intelligence agent ー is unaware that a foreigner in China cannot access the worldwide Internet without use of a VPN. However, the fact that China's intelligence services have targeted thousands of individuals in the US and other Western nations for recruitment using social networking platforms is certainly no laughing matter. Those targeted include current and former officials, business professionals, academics and researchers. Individuals who agree to spy for China are typically paid through overseas bank transfers, frequently through front companies. American businessman Elon Musk headed the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. (©AP via Kyodo) According to a report issued by Challenger, Gray & Christmas dated May 1, during the first quarter of 2025, the US Government shed 282,227 jobs. Of those, 281,452 were attributed to DOGE-related cost-cutting. The number was up 680 percent from the same period a year before. Another 75,000 Federal workers accepted buyouts before the February 12 deadline set by DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency). Many of the jobs cut were sensitive positions in intelligence, defense or other fields requiring a security clearance. According to the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), as of October 2019, over 1.25 million US government employees, contractors and others held top-secret clearances. There have also been multiple media reports that many employees let go by DOGE did not receive the mandatory security exit briefing. However, that exact number is unknown. Experts emphasize that the failure to conduct exit briefings for employees with high-level security clearances is a grave concern for counterintelligence efforts. That is because during these debriefings it is emphasized that after leaving government service the employee must not divulge any confidential information and doing so is a violation of the Espionage Act. Veteran US officials like Mallory or the infamous counterintelligence officer Aldrich Ames who spied for the Soviet Union were willing to sell out their country. Therefore, confused, angry former government employees who suddenly find themselves in dire financial straits could also at least be tempted. In December 2023, the European Intelligence Academy published a research paper by Nicholas Eftimiades, entitled "China's Espionage Recruitment Motivations: Getting Rid of the MICE." Eftimiades is also the author of the book, Chinese Intelligence Operations . He explains the traditional motivations of individuals who spy for a foreign power, namely Money, Ideology, Coercion and Ego, summed up in the acronym MICE. However, in the paper, he argues that the traditional motivations of individuals who spy for a foreign power are not sufficient to explain China's "whole of society" approach towards collecting vast amounts of commercial, scientific and national security information for the PRC. This effort involves several Chinese Communist Party entities, such as the United Work Department. Government ministries, state-owned enterprises and private businesses are also involved. According to Eftimiades "hundreds of thousands of people are available to support these varied intelligence collection efforts." In the paper, Eftimiades proposes a new acronym to account for several added dimensions of complexity when considering motivational factors in Chinese espionage recruitment efforts. That is BEWARE (Business Opportunities, Ethno-Nationalism, Wealth/Money, Academic Advancement, Repression/Coercion and Emotional Bonds). Chinese American historian Shujan Wang was convicted of espionage for China, but he also explained how he got caught in the recruitment process. (Radio Free Asia YouTube, screenshot) The "thousand grains of sand" metaphor has also frequently been used to describe how China spies on other countries. It conjures up an image of spymasters in Beijing running a supercomputer that collates and synthesizes all the intelligence that legions of Chinese spies have collected worldwide. However, that is not how things actually work. Many different parties with their own distinct motivations are involved. They also have a vast range of collection targets. Those include national secrets, commercial and military technology, academic research, intellectual property and trade secrets. When the Ministry of State Security (MSS) is involved, its case officers typically try to win the trust and cooperation of individuals targeted for recruitment. The primary exception is intelligence concerning dissident groups abroad. Those include especially democracy advocates, Falun Gong believers, Taiwan "separatists," Uyghurs and Tibetans. For these individuals, the gloves are off and coercion, appeals to ethno-nationalism and financial rewards are the preferred tools. Eftimiades warns, "If Western law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies are to meet the current challenge posed by Beijing's massive global intelligence program, they will need to start by better understanding recruitment process and motivations." That warning includes Japan. Continues in Part Two: An Offer You Should Definitely Refuse Author: John Carroll
