India has become the largest supplier of rapeseed meal to China, as prohibitive tariffs have effectively shut Canadian exports out of the market, according to the USDA’s September Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade report.
China imposed preliminary anti-dumping duties of nearly 76% on Canadian rapeseed imports in August, following earlier 100% tariffs in March 2025 on rapeseed meal and oil. With tariffs now covering all Canadian canola products, Chinese buyers have been forced to turn elsewhere to secure supplies for their feed industry.
Meanwhile, the report also said total China imports of both of rapeseed and rapeseed meal will hit multi-year lows in 2025-26.
Rapeseed meal is particularly valued in China’s aquaculture sector, where its amino acid profile makes it a cost-effective substitute for fish meal. Until this spring, Canada was the dominant supplier of rapeseed meal to China. But shipments dropped sharply after tariffs took hold, creating an opening for new trade flows.
Since March, India has stepped into the gap, quickly becoming China’s leading source of rapeseed meal. The shift has been supported by weaker domestic demand in India, where livestock feeders are using more dried distillers grains as the country raises its ethanol blend rate. According to the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India, nearly 100,000 tonnes of rapeseed meal were shipped to China in July alone, the USDA report said (see graph below).
China’s imports of rapeseed meal in 2025-26 are now expected to reach 2.6 million tonnes — about 400,000 tons higher than earlier forecast, but still at a three-year low. Even with India’s expanded role, the loss of Canadian supplies has left China facing tighter availability.
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