Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says India’s tariffs on Canadian lentils may increase upon landing in India for a trade mission with other Canadian delegates.
Speaking to reporters upon landing in Mumbai on Friday, Moe says he would “love to see” tariffs removed on pea, lentil and bean products — also known as pulses — before the end of the trip next week. However, he added that it wasn’t likely that all products would see tariff removals.
“I’ve heard some discussion that in the case of lentils that there’s some discussion that they might actually increase to some degree,” Moe said.
India currently has a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian lentils.
The country also placed a 30 per cent tariff on Canadian yellow peas in November to protect its local producers.
India is a major importer of Canadian pulses, accounting for over 50 per cent of all pulse imports from 2000 to 2020, according to Pulse Canada.
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Moe will be in India until next week and says he will be focusing on advancing trade with India on Saskatchewan staples like potash and uranium, alongside agriculture.
“We have a tremendous opportunity to actually advance that trade and not only into other products but into larger volumes of the products that we do,” he said.
Trade with India has been under fire as of late, with threats of foreign interference from the country an ongoing concern.
The day before Prime Minister Mark Carney’s official visit to Mumbai and New Delhi, a senior official said the government believed India was no longer plotting attacks on Canadians.
The official’s comments at a press background briefing were the first to suggest India had halted the clandestine operations that Canada has linked to a murder and other violence.
But Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree on Thursday would not fully agree with that statement when asked multiple times. Instead, Anandasangaree said there are outstanding issues about the safety and security of Canadians that are being worked out with India.
As for Moe, he wants to continue doing business with India despite the disagreements.
“It’s important to be at the table in those countries where we have differences, but also where we also have opportunities and points of agreement to be able to talk our way through potentially what those disagreements are,” he said.
The delegation will travel to New Delhi next week before heading to Australia and Japan.
Moe will not be joining the rest of the delegation on the trip beyond New Delhi and will instead stay back to attend the Raisina Dialogue conference in the city, he told reporters.
The Raisina Dialogue runs from March 5 to 7, meaning he will be overseas when Saskatchewan’s spring legislative sitting kicks off on Monday.
— with files from The Canadian Press
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