PARIS - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says China is "inventing excuses" to block imports of Canadian canola.

Speaking at a press conference Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trudeau used his toughest language yet over the Chinese government's decision to reject Canadian canola on the grounds that inspectors have found pests in it.

Trudeau calls the decision to block canola imports "unjustified" and part of a wider diplomatic row between the two countries.

He suggests the Chinese might do something similar to block other Canadian exports.

Canada-China relations have deteriorated since December, when the RCMP arrested Huawei senior executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver at the behest of the United States.

China was outraged by Meng's arrest and has since detained two Canadians on allegations of espionage and sentenced two other Canadians to death on drug-related convictions.