China has launched an anti-dumping investigation into pea starch imported from Canada, marking Beijing’s latest retaliatory measure against Canada’s tariffs targeting Chinese steel.
The probe was initiated at the request of domestic industry insiders, with preliminary evidence showing a significant increase in dumped Canadian pea starch in recent years, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
“With import prices below domestic products, it has been causing losses and difficulties for China’s industry,” the ministry said on its website on Tuesday. “The anti-dumping probe complies with WTO rules to protect domestic industries and differs fundamentally from Canada’s recent WTO-violating discriminatory actions against China.”
In the 2023-24 agricultural season, Canada was China’s second-largest pea exporter, accounting for 44.6 per cent of China’s total pea imports, following Russia’s 49.1 per cent, the Russian Union of Grain Exporters and Producers said last month.
Pea starch is mainly used in the food industry as a stabiliser that adds consistency and improves mouthfeel.
Also on Tuesday, China’s commerce authorities said the ministry would begin collecting “deposits” from companies importing Canadian canola oil and halogenated butyl rubber – the latter mainly used for pharmaceutical stoppers and the inner lining of tyres – after anti-dumping investigations into the products were launched in September.
Both measures are set to take effect on Thursday.
