Description
This week's meeting of Canadian and Chinese government delegates delivered tariff relief on Canadian canola meal, pulses, and seafood until the end of 2028, but the pork sector remains excluded from the breakthrough. While other agricultural commodities celebrate extended preferred status, Canadian pork processors continue to navigate steep trade barriers that erode market share across the Pacific.
Kyle Larkin, president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council, joined RealAgriculture’s Lyndsey Smith to discuss the ongoing impact of China’s 25 per cent tariff on Canadian pork. Over the past 18 months, those duties have resulted in approximately $126 million in losses for Canadian processors, directly affecting operations and competitiveness.
“The challenge for us is we haven't seen progress yet on pork,” Larkin says. “And so our pork processors across the country are still being challenged by Chinese tariffs of 25% on Canadian pork exports. And what that has done is really dampened down the amount of pork we're exporting to China and has added up to considerable losses for our pork processors.”
While the other commodities were tied into broader negotiations involving steel and aluminium, Larkin notes that outstanding issues around electric vehicles may still be in the mix when it comes to progress on pork.
The tariff disparity creates significant commercial headwinds; Canadian exporters face a 25 per cent duty, while key global competitors such as Spain, the United States, and Brazil face tariffs between 5 and 10 per cent. Consequently, Canadian pork exports to China fell from roughly $450 million in 2024 to $350 million in 2025, with projections dropping to $250 million this year.
The duties have forced Canadian processors to reduce shipments of high-value primal cuts and absorb losses on pork offal, a category where China remains the primary global buyer. Larkin says that prolonged tariffs threaten long-standing relationships with Chinese buyers.
“These relationships that our Canadian pork processors have had with their Chinese customers go back 5 years, 10 years, 20 years,” Larkin says. “It takes a long time to build up the customer relationships, build up the exports. It takes a lot longer to rebuild them.”
With upcoming bilateral meetings in Canada and the APEC Summit in Shenzhen, China, Larkin remains hopeful that federal engagement will secure parity for Canadian pork before the year ends.
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