Kody Blois joining Premier Moe on canola trip to China

Blois will be there to engage with Chinese officials

A member of Prime Minister Carney’s inner circle will head to China to engage in talks about canola.

Kody Blois, the parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, will travel to China from Sept. 6 to 9 as part of a trade delegation spearheaded by Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.

This trip east comes after China placed a 75.8 per cent tariff on Canadian canola.

The trade mission will also include Warren Kaeding, the Sask. minister of trade and export development. Stops in Japan and South Korea are also on the docket.

Blois will solely be focused on the Chinese portion of the trip.

“Parliamentary Secretary Blois will join the delegation to engage constructively with Chinese officials on several trade irritants and demonstrate Canada’s commitment to supporting farmers affected by Chinese tariffs,” a Sept. 4 statement from the prime minister’s office says. “Canada’s new government will work with provinces, territories, farmers, and businesses to build one Canadian economy and secure reliable trading partnerships for the trade of high-quality Canadian goods.”

Premier Moe addressed the trade mission on Thursday afternoon.

Having someone like Blois involved is a good sign, he said.

“That is a positive,” he told reporters. “Not only for the mission but a positive for where we can get to in the broader opportunities that we might have with a country like China.”

In addition, farmers could be on the receiving end of federal support.

“The government will announce additional measures in support of Canadian producers shortly,” the prime minister’s office said in its statement.