Canada China food trade reopens, and you’re standing in the meat aisle watching beef prices. The news says Canada just shipped beef to China. Your brain does the math: more exports equals less supply equals higher prices for you. But that equation might be completely backwards.

Charlebois argues shipping more beef to China actually lowers Canadian prices, not raises them. China buys special cuts Canada can’t supply in volume anyway. The export market encourages Canadian cattle producers to grow herds, which increases domestic supply. 600 million Chinese middle-class consumers want Canadian canola and beef, and Trump exempted food from tariffs to avoid weaponizing the food supply chain. Trade with China, but don’t fall in love with China—Charlebois warns the language matters because strategic alliances provoke Americans while trade relationships don’t.

The beef you can’t afford to buy isn’t the beef China wants. The canola tariff that didn’t happen wasn’t going to raise your grocery bill anyway. And the trade deal that sounds dangerous might be the one protecting Canadian farmers from input cost collapse.

Topics: Canada China food trade, beef exports, canola tariffs, agricultural trade, Trump food policy

GUEST: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois | @‌foodprofessor

Originally aired on2026-01-23