Chinese importers report instructions from Beijing to cancel new canola orders from Canada and conduct strict inspections on other agri-food products. One importer told The Globe and Mail that their company, Jiangsu Tongliang International, has cancelled all purchasing plans for wheat, peas, linseed and canola meal from Canada. (Globe and Mail)

Talking point: Importers and analysts believe the interruptions are a form of retaliation from China over the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver in December 2018. Richardson International, one of Canada’s biggest agri-food companies, was the first exporter to have its shipments blocked from entering China—that happened on March 1, the same day Justice Canada authorized extradition hearings against Meng to proceed. The fallout from the blocks could be significant: China buys 40 per cent—worth about $2.7 billion—of Canada’s canola seed, oil and meal exports and, in 2017, it spent about $8.1 billion on Canadian agricultural products total.