REGINA — Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is again facing calls to stand up for farmers after new data shows the province's exports to China have plummeted.
The Statistics Canada data released this week comes amid a trade dispute in which Beijing has imposed tariffs on Canadian canola products, widely seen as retaliation for Canada's 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles.
Data shows Saskatchewan exported $96 million worth of goods to China in August, down 76 per cent from the same month last year.
About 60 percent of the province's exports to China are agricultural products and food, and data shows they have been declining since June.
Opposition NDP trade critic Aleana Young says the drop could hit the province's economy and labor market.
She says Moe needs to take a stronger position in advocating for the elimination of tariffs on electric vehicles.
“(Moe) should be on the phone every single day with the Prime Minister of Canada arguing that these tariffs need to be eliminated to help the Saskatchewan economy,” she told reporters Wednesday.
“People are concerned about the impact this will have on their ability to bin crops, what this will mean for next year and whether they will be able to keep their family farms running.”
Moe said he wants Ottawa to end its tariff on electric vehicles, but only if the country maintains good relations with the United States. He has since said it won't be easy to remove.
Canada introduced this tariff at the same time as the United States, which also imposed a 100 percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. Canada says the measure is intended to protect the country's auto industry.
In September, Mo traveled to China with Prime Minister Mark Carney's parliamentary secretary Cody Blois. He said the meetings were positive.
Moe's office said in a statement Wednesday that Ottawa and Beijing should continue to negotiate with each other.
“Saskatchewan will continue to call on the federal government to achieve this and remains ready to offer any information or assistance if required,” it said.
The statement said the province is prioritizing trade diversification, with about $50 billion worth of goods exported annually over the past three years.
China, which is Saskatchewan's second-largest export market, received nearly $4 billion in agricultural products from the province last year.
“Our government will always protect Saskatchewan's producers and will not learn from the NDP with their disastrous economic policies that will destroy our economy,” the statement said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2025.
