TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s agriculture minister says China has suspended the permits of two Canadian pork exporters.
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the suspensions were related to administrative issues that arose from routine customs inspections. She said all other approved Canadian pork processing facilities remain eligible to export to China.
Canadian pork producer Olymel LP says its plant is one of those affected. The other producer was not identified.
The development fueled speculation that the suspensions could be retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei.
China was infuriated by the Dec. 1 arrest of Huawei’s CFO on a U.S. extradition warrant and has since arrested two Canadian citizens.
China has already suspended Canadian canola exports.