B.C. fruit producers aren’t panicking about potential spinoff effects of new Chinese tariffs targeting the U.S.
Some Canadian fruit growers have expressed concern that a new 15-per-cent tariff on U.S. apples, cherries, peaches, raspberries and cranberries could mean that produce is dumped north of the border, tanking prices.
American farm exports to China totalled nearly $20 billion in 2017.
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Fruit is big business in B.C.
In 2015, the province produced Canada’s largest fruit crop, valued at more than $372 million.
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The BC Fruit Growers’ Association estimates that family-owned tree fruit farms generate about $776 million of economic activity every year.
But despite how much is on the line, farmers are taking a wait and see approach to the effects of the new tariffs, said association president Pinder Dhaliwal.
“We’re in a different market, we have some apples such as Ambrosia, McIntosh, and Spartans that they don’t have. And also for Washington — it’s not the only market for shipping their apples, into China. They’ve got other European markets that they will probably access,” he said.
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As for other major B.C. products such as cherries, Dhaliwal was equally confident that U.S. competitors would find other export markets.
However, he said the industry is taking nothing for granted, and is closely watching the brewing conflict between the U.S. and China.
“I think this trade war, we still have to keep an eye on it,” he said. “There’s the possibility of the flow changing.”
On Sunday, China raised import duties on a $3 billion list of U.S. pork, apples and other products in retaliation for President Donald Trump raising tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum.
- With files from Shelby Thom and the Canadian Press
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