Canada and China deal to reduce tariffs and visa free access

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that he was willing to continue working to improve ties with China, noting that talks have been underway on restoring and restarting co-operation since his initial meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October on the sidelines of a regional economic conference in South Korea.

The two countries have reached a preliminary, but landmark, trade arrangement to remove trade barriers and reduce tariffs, Carney said. He added that Canada will allow in up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles with the most-favored-nation tariff rate of 6.1 percent, with China expected to lower tariffs on Canadian canola seed to a combined rate of approximately 15 percent.

He added that China will allow visa-free access for Canadian visitors to enter the country.