From January 14 to 17, 2026, Canadian Prime Minister Carney was invited to pay an official visit to China. During the visit, the two sides reached broad consensus on deepening economic and trade cooperation, signed the "China-Canada Economic and Trade Cooperation Roadmap", and formed preliminary joint arrangements for handling bilateral economic and trade issues. On January 16, the head of the Department of U.S. Studies of the Ministry of Commerce interpreted relevant economic and trade results.

"This road map for economic and trade cooperation is the first high-level cooperation document in the history of China-Canada economic and trade relations."

Talking about the main contents and highlights of the "China Economic and Trade Cooperation Roadmap", the head of the Department of U.S. and International Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce introduced that on January 15, under the joint witness of Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Carney, China Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and Canada International Trade Minister Sidu signed the "China Economic and Trade Cooperation Roadmap" on behalf of their respective competent departments. This is an important phased achievement achieved by the two countries under the framework of the new strategic partnership. It is also the first high-level cooperation document in the history of bilateral economic and trade relations. The main contents and highlights include the following aspects.

First, both sides agreed to strengthen the China-Canada Economic and Trade Joint Commission mechanism. Agree to upgrade the China-Canada Economic and Trade Joint Commission from a vice-ministerial level to a ministerial level cooperation mechanism, promote the comprehensive restoration and resumption of dialogue and exchanges among working groups such as intellectual property rights and trade remedies, and reaffirm the role of the Joint Commission in promoting bilateral economic and trade cooperation, managing and resolving economic and trade differences. This provides a solid institutional guarantee for accelerating the upgrading of China-Canada economic and trade relations and further improving the level of economic and trade cooperation.

Second, both sides agreed to comprehensively expand practical economic and trade cooperation in various fields. The roadmap system builds a cooperation pattern in eight areas including cooperation between the two sides in the Economic and Trade Joint Commission mechanism, bilateral economic and trade relations, agricultural food and food security, green and sustainable trade, e-commerce cooperation and trade promotion, facilitation of personnel exchanges, economic and financial cooperation, and multilateral and regional economic and trade cooperation, and proposes 28 cooperation measures to provide comprehensive cooperation in traditional areas such as energy, agriculture, consumer goods, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as new materials, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, Comprehensive planning has been made for cooperation in new fields such as green products, and China-Canada economic and trade cooperation is expected to enter the fast lane of development.

Third, the two sides reached a positive consensus on cooperation under multilateral and regional frameworks. Agree to support the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, jointly promote the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference to achieve practical results on WTO reform, reaffirm that work should be carried out within the framework of WTO rules, and strive to avoid future implementation of unilateral measures. In addition, Canada also made positive statements on China's hosting of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference and its accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership. These consensuses have gathered the strength of both sides to support multilateralism and sent a common voice to the outside world.

"China and Canada have made specific arrangements to properly resolve economic and trade issues in the fields of electric vehicles, steel and aluminum products, rapeseed, agricultural and aquatic products."

The "Joint Statement of the Leaders 'Meeting of China and Canada" mentioned that the two sides have formed preliminary joint arrangements on handling relevant economic and trade issues. In this regard, the above-mentioned person in charge said that in order to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of China and Canada, the two sides have recently conducted multiple rounds of intensive consultations at all levels around economic and trade issues of concern to each other, and have properly resolved electric vehicles, steel and aluminum products. Some specific arrangements have been made for economic and trade issues in the fields of rapeseed, agricultural and aquatic products. In addition, the two sides also reached a positive consensus on economic and trade issues such as increasing direct flights, improving the business environment, and agricultural product inspection and quarantine. This is not only an important step taken by both sides to resolve each other's economic and trade concerns, but also a new starting point for deepening economic and trade cooperation.

In the next step, the two sides will continue to be guided by the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, jointly implement the hard-won consultation results, step up the finalization of details, clarify timetables, formulate action plans, accelerate the implementation of their respective domestic procedures, and promote the early implementation of relevant results. At the same time, make full use of the mechanism of the China-Canada Economic and Trade Joint Commission to continue to expand cooperation, resolve problems, manage differences, and promote the healthy, stable and sustainable development of China-Canada economic and trade relations.

"Canada has made positive adjustments to the measures related to China's electric vehicle exports to Canada, which is a positive step in the right direction."

On the 16th, Canada stated in an interview with relevant media that it would actively adjust measures related to the export of China's electric vehicles to Canada.

In this regard, the above-mentioned person in charge said that China has taken note of Canada's relevant statement. In 2024, Canada will impose a 100% surcharge on China's electric vehicles, which will greatly affect China's exports of electric vehicles to Canada. According to the latest adjustment arrangements, Canada will grant China a quota of 49,000 electric vehicles per year, enjoy 6.1% most-favored-nation tariff treatment within the quota, and no 100% surcharge will be levied. The number of quotas will increase year by year at a certain proportion. China believes that this is a positive step in the right direction by Canada and is also good news for China's electric vehicles to explore the Canadian market.

The above-mentioned person in charge expressed the hope that Canada will actively fulfill relevant commitments, and at the same time continue to work in the same direction with China to create a more fair, stable and non-discriminatory environment for further expanding trade and investment cooperation in electric vehicles between the two countries through friendly consultations. It is expected that the industrial circles of the two countries will seize the opportunity, strengthen docking, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

"China and Canada have conducted multiple rounds of consultations in a spirit of cooperation and worked hard to compress the list of issues."

Regarding Canada's concerns about rapeseed, agricultural and aquatic products and other exports to China, have the two sides reached a preliminary consensus on adjusting rapeseed anti-dumping measures?

The above-mentioned person in charge introduced that China and Canada have conducted multiple rounds of consultations in a spirit of cooperation and strived to compress the list of issues. Canada will make active adjustments to the unilateral measures taken against China's electric vehicles, steel and aluminum products, as well as cases of investment and operation by China companies in Canada. Correspondingly, China will adjust the anti-dumping measures on rapeseed and the anti-discriminatory measures taken against some Canadian agricultural and aquatic products that Canada is concerned about in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. It is believed that these arrangements will play a positive role in deepening China-Canada related industrial cooperation and improving the well-being of the people of the two countries.

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