The tariffs, announced this month, follow a Beijing probe into levies imposed by Ottawa on Chinese goods last year.
They hit rapeseed oil, oil cakes, and peas imported from Canada with a 100 percent surcharge.
Canada is among the world’s top producers of canola, a rapeseed crop that is used to make cooking oil, animal feed and biodiesel fuel, and China has historically been one of its largest customers.
Aquatic products and pork, meanwhile, will face a 25 percent levy.
Canadian industry leaders have warned they would be hit hard by the fresh tariffs.
“New tariffs from China on Canadian canola oil and meal will have a devastating impact on canola farmers and the broader value chain at a time of increased trade and geopolitical uncertainty,” said Canola Council of Canada president Chris Davison.
“We urge the federal government to immediately engage with China, with a view to resolving this issue,” he said.
The fresh tariffs come as both Canada and China face deepening trade tensions with the US, which under President Donald Trump has rolled out stiff new tariffs.
Ottawa in August placed 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports, matching US measures seeking to fend off the import of Chinese cars into North America.
It also announced a surcharge on imports of steel and aluminum products from China.
Beijing’s commerce ministry said a probe into these measures found that Canadian policies “disrupted the normal trade order and harmed the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises”.
In Beijing, some residents said they were supportive of China’s tariffs on goods from other countries.
“China has become strong and doesn’t need to rely on others for everything,” said Zheng Ruitao, a Beijing resident in his thirties.
“For me personally, it has not much impact, the impact might be on the country,” said Song Qing, another Beijing resident. (AFP)
