Prior to the recent dispute between Canada and China, grain traders had predicted that China could buy two million tons of Canadian peas this year, compared with a previous maximum of 1.3 million tons.

The Canadian government and industry, agriculture and trade officials say that there are officially no abnormal restrictions on agricultural exports to China, with the exception of canola seeds.

As of March 25, the Canadian Association of Agriculture and Food Trade and the Federal Minister of Agriculture have confirmed that the restrictions apply only to the seeds themselves.

Although March 22, the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail reported that “Purchase plans for wheat, peas, flax seeds and rapeseed were canceled,” said Gao Huazhi, executive director of Jiangsu Tongliang International, which imports Canadian agricultural products.

On March 25, Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bebo, told CBC News that her ministry and other federal agencies are addressing this issue as a phytosanitary issue that China has declared for Canadian canola seeds and that no other products are currently affected.