Chinese importers have stopped buying Canadian canola seed, according to an industry group.
Canola Council of Canada president Jim Everson says canola seed exporters are reporting that Chinese importers are unwilling to purchase Canadian canola seed at this time.
Earlier this month, Beijing suspended canola imports from Richardson International Ltd. for what one Chinese official alleged was the detection of hazardous organisms in the company's product.
Everson says Canadian canola seed exporters who normally ship to China have no alternative but to supply customers in other countries.
Companies that are members of the council include Viterra Inc., Louis Dreyfus Company, Cargill Ltd. and Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
China's decision to reject shipments of one of Canada's key exports comes with the two countries in a diplomatic dispute that erupted after the December arrest of Huawei senior executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver at the behest of the United States.