CFIA found no evidence of pests or bacteria of concern in Canadian canola.Ottawa—Canada has told China to prove its claims of contaminated Canadian canola because an investigation by Canadian officials found neither pests nor bacteria of concern in the oilseed shipped by Richardson International.Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency “has requested that Customs China provide additional information, including specimens, so that the CFIA can further investigate the alleged detection.”The usual practice under international agreements is for a country to supply detailed information about a contamination case to the country it was shipped from. So far Canada has received no information about Chinese complaints of a harmful pest in the canola.Canada wants to resolve the dispute as quickly as possible, Bibeau said. “We are closely monitoring the situation and any potential impact on Canada's agricultural trading relationship with China. We are in regular contact with industry stakeholders regarding this matter, and we will keep them informed as additional information becomes available.”She said that past disputes with China on import requirements were resolved through continued engagement.The Chinese action is mainly regarded as retaliation for the arrest of a Huawei CFO Meng Wanshou for extradition to the U.S. Since her arrest, several Canadians have been incarcerated in China and canola shipments to that country have been delayed at ports of entry.Meanwhile the Conservatives want the Commons agriculture committee to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation. It also complained about a lack of government action on the file. The Commons resumes sittings March 18 and the committee is to meet the next day at which time the request from Ontario Conservative MP Bev Shipley and his colleagues Luc Berthold and Earl Dreeshen will likely be raised. They want Bibeau, Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to testify. Canola Council President Jim Everson said, “The canola value chain is concerned about how Chinese restrictions impact our growers and the entire industry. It's important to resolve the issue quickly so we can resume stable trade that benefits both countries.“If China's concern is with specific quality issues, we should be able to resolve it quickly,” he said. “We have full confidence in the quality of Canadian canola exports and our quality assurance systems.”China is an important market for Canada's canola industry, as about 40 per cent of Canadian canola exports are shipped there.The Canola Council “is aware of challenges our exporters have faced shipping to China – these are concerning as they create instability and add costs,” Everson said. “It's important to the whole industry that we continue to meet the requirements of our export customers.“As the government has stated, we're confident in the quality of Canadian canola exports and our quality assurance systems. Our industry will continue to work with the Canadian government to clarify issues raised by our Chinese customers and resolve concerns as quickly as possible.”The Chinese inspection has focused on shipments of seed, which is processed in China. It is generally thought Chinese companies are reluctant to buy from Canada because of the friction created by Wanzhou's arrest.Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.