The Financial Post reports in its Friday, Aug. 22, edition that China's 75.8-per-cent preliminary tariff on Canadian canola seed highlights the need for diversification and strategic policymaking in a volatile market. The Post's guest columnist Gary Mar writes that this follows a year-long anti-dumping investigation where China accused Canada of providing unfair advantages to its farmers through subsidies. The tariff adds to the challenges faced by canola farmers, who have already dealt with heavy tariffs on canola oil and meal. The political context is evident, especially after Canada imposed a 100-per-cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, prompting China to target a key agricultural sector in Western Canada. China has used canola as a proxy in trade disputes before. Canola seed exports fell from 48 per cent in 2018 to 19 per cent in 2019 after China banned exports from Richardson International and Viterra, citing quality-control issues. Despite billions lost, the situation highlighted the need for domestic crushing capacity, leading to increased production. In 2019, an average of 810,000 tonnes of seed was crushed, rising to 921,000 tonnes in 2025, a 15-per-cent increase.