Pakistan to import Canadian canola, eyes critical minerals partnership

T ORONTO/ISLAMABAD: Canada and Pakistan have agreed to facilitate the export of Canadian canola to the South Asian nation, the countries said in a joint statement on Monday, while also showing a “keen interest in expanding bilateral cooperation on energy security and critical minerals”.

Canada has been looking to open new markets for the commodity after China announced preliminary anti-dumping duties on Canadian canola imports in August, a year after Canada said it would levy a 100 per cent tariff on imports of Chinese electric vehicles.

Read more: Pakistan, US sign MoU on critical minerals, rare earths

“Pakistan and Canada remain committed to working together to promote peace, prosperity, and inclusive growth, both bilaterally and on the global stage,” reads the statement shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.

The development came after Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand “held a productive bilateral call on October 30”.

During the conversation, the two leaders reaffirmed “the strong and enduring ties between Pakistan and Canada”, and emphasised “the importance of deepening cooperation in areas of mutual interest”.

As a result, the two countries 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 also mentions critical minerals.

“Both sides also expressed keen interest in expanding bilateral cooperation on energy security and critical minerals, recognizing the strong and growing role of Canadian companies in achieving Pakistan’s ambitious mineral development goals and harnessing its clean energy potential.”