Pakistan has reopened its borders to Canadian canola after a three-year hiatus, restoring a valuable export market for Prairie farmers hit by China’s ongoing trade restrictions.
“This is great news for Canadian farmers,” Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told the House of Commons last week, adding that her Pakistani counterpart confirmed import orders for Canadian canola have already been placed.
A joint Canada-Pakistan statement on Monday confirmed the border reopening.
“Canada and Pakistan agreed to facilitate the export of Canadian canola to Pakistan, recognizing the significant potential of Pakistan’s expanding market for this Canadian commodity,” the statement said.
Canada’s Market Access Secretariat said Pakistan’s regulatory agency approved the registration of several genetically modified (GM) canola events, clearing the way for import licenses to be issued in the coming weeks. The move follows months of advocacy by Canadian government and industry officials after Pakistan began enforcing its 2005 Biosafety Rules in 2022, which effectively blocked GM crop imports.
Pakistan imports of Canadian canola began in 2002, with volumes peaking at more than 700,000 tonnes in both 2010 and 2011. From 2015 to 2020, Pakistan became a consistent buyer, averaging 810,000 tonnes annually and at times rivaling Mexico as a top customer.
While significant, the Pakistani market remains small compared to China, which imported nearly 6 million tonnes of Canadian canola seed in 2024, worth about $4 billion. But with China now imposing tariffs of up to 100% on Canadian canola oil and meal — and nearly 76% on canola seed — Pakistan’s reopening offers a welcome outlet for exporters facing steep barriers in their largest market.
