China’s Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday issued a preliminary ruling imposing a 75.8% provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of Canadian rapeseed, or canola, to take effect on 14 August. The ministry said its investigation found that Canadian exporters sold the oilseed at unfairly low prices, injuring domestic producers, and ordered importers to pay the deposit at customs while the probe continues. Beijing also finalised preliminary findings in a separate case covering halogenated butyl rubber, requiring importers of Canadian and Japanese material to post security deposits of as much as 40.5% from the same date. The inquiry into Indian rubber was dropped after officials concluded shipments were too small to harm Chinese industry. In a further move, MOFCOM opened a year-long anti-dumping investigation into Canadian pea starch, reviewing trade between January and December 2024 and examining industry damage back to 2021. The starch probe can be extended by up to six months. The measures deepen a trade dispute that intensified last year when Ottawa imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. China buys most of its imported canola from Canada—purchases worth nearly C$5 billion in 2024—so the 75.8% duty is expected to curtail shipments sharply. ICE November canola futures dropped as much as 6.5% on the news to a four-month low. MOFCOM said the actions comply with World Trade Organization rules and promised a fair final decision. Canada’s government had not issued a formal response by late Tuesday, while farm groups warned the levies could depress prices and force producers to seek alternative markets.