April 2 came and went, leaving Canadian farmers with the same status quo as they had been operating under for the prior month.
All eyes were on the U.S. in early April, as an tariff exemption for Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement compliant goods out of Canada was set to expire, potentially opening agricultural products up to further trade action. While U.S. announcements April 2 set out tariffs or additional tariffs for a wide range of countries, including China, Mexico and Canada were not on the docket for further levies. Measures already in place against the CUSMA partners remained in place, however.
Back on March 4, U.S. President Donald Trump had placed sweeping 25 per cent tariff on Canadian and Mexican goods, plus a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy.
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The first wave of Canada’s retaliatory tariffs came into force in lockstep with the U.S. action.
On March 6, the U.S. announced the aforementioned grace period on Canadian goods claimed under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. Potash and Canadian energy were still up for 10 per cent tariffs. The first wave of Canadian retaliatory tariffs stayed in place.
The U.S. later announced different 25 per cent tariffs against Canadian steel and aluminum, as well as tariffs against the automobile sector.
China also launched its own trade assault on Canadian agriculture over the second weekend of March.
That country announced 100 per cent tariffs against major Canadian agriculture exports canola oil and canola meal and peas, and 25 per cent tariffs on aquatic products and pork.
We’ve collected an ongoing list of our coverage here, from industry reaction and market analysis to how farmers can play financial damage control. This page will be updated as the situation progresses.
Latest tariff coverage
(April 4) New money to pad Manitoba farms against tariff pain: UPDATED: Farm business risk management support announced as part of Manitoba’s anti-tariff economic defence
(April 4) No new U.S. tariffs on Canadian canola ‘welcome news’: National canola groups say risks of U.S. tariffs aren’t gone as growers fight two-front trade war
(April 4) China retaliation on U.S. farm goods hits soybeans, bolstering Brazil
(April 3) What do new widespread tariffs mean for Canadian agriculture and food?: Canada, Mexico not subject to new global rates, but plenty of economic factors could hit home
(April 2) Canada, Mexico not subject to new global rates as Trump announces new tariffs: Trump says he will impose 10 per cent tariff on all imports, with higher rates for some
(March 30) UPDATED: U.S. pork group warns against counter-tariff impact as trade war clock ticks: American pork group says counter-tariffs will only disrupt supply chains as Canada gears up tariff defence ahead of April 2.
(March 29) Grain prices continue to orbit tariff talk: Tariffs and trade wars flying in multiple directions have left room for pleny of speculation as the new realities of the Canadian grain market start to play out.
(March 28) Cut contracts alarm Manitoba potato sector: Manitoba potato growers have been dealt a blow by companies who have cut producer contracts, citing trade strife and lower consumer demand.
(March 28) Future of Canadian agriculture hangs on U.S. trade direction: Looming trade deal renegotiations and ongoing tariff troubles headline risks facing Canadian agriculture, says director of Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.
(March 26) U.S. pork begs for tariff exemption from Canada: The Canadian pork sector, meanwhile, says U.S. tariffs against Canadian pork creates similar damage to the highly integrated North American pork market.
(March 25) Unfair trade war burden must be shared equally: Canadian agriculture is struggling to navigate a trade war on two fronts from two of its major trading partners
(March 22) Trade tops pre-election agenda for Manitoba farm groups: Canada’s imminent federal election will revolve around handling tariffs and the multi-directional trade war the country is embroiled in, as far as agriculture is concerned.
(March 22) Are China’s tariffs on Canadian canola oil and meal a ruse?: Canadian farmers are getting dour news on the future of canola prices, but real data might not back up the scope of tariff-driven market chaos everyone is worried about.
(March 21) China toying with Canadian canola: For Canadian farmers, China’s recent moves against canola, and the resulting canola price hits, are déjà vu.
(March 14) Trade war raises profile of Livestock Price Insurance: The cost of Livestock Price Insurance has previously had farmers balking: Tariff-driven market risks though might make a policy worth it for Canadian beef and hog producers this year.
(March 14) Chinese tariffs create double-whammy trade war for Canadian pork: U.S. tariffs one one side, Chinese tariffs on the other: Can Canadian pork keep from buckling under the pressure?
(March 11) Trump to double tariffs on Canadian metals, calls for Canadian tariffs to be dropped on U.S. dairy: News comes after Ontario announces 25 per cent tariff on electricity coming into the U.S.
(March 10) New Chinese tariffs “devasting” to Canadian ag sector: Canadian agriculture groups decry the latest trade move in the fact of increasingly uncertain trade relationships between Canada’s biggest trading partners.
Canadian beef is among the sectors watching the tariff situation closely. PHOTO: GERALYN WICHERS
(March 7) Federal government offers farmers relief but may not go far enough, says expert: Announcements in the first week of March included a return of the Advance Payments Program interest-free portion to $250,000, plus funding for diversified trade.
(March 7) Trump says Canada, Mexico tariff reprieve is short-term move, duties may rise over time
(March 6) Peak of the Market navigates tariffs, consumer shifts: Peak of the Market is feeling the pinch from tariff uncertainty, though a “buy Canadian” push is helping
(March 6) Tariffs, trade dominate discussion at Canadian Crops Convention: Former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper says enforcement of tariffs was “darkest day” for Canada.
(March 6) Tariffs Day 3 – Donald sees the light — for now: Tariffs are partially on pause until April 2, and some quiet amendments seem to protect U.S. interests.
(March 5) Pork worries tariffs will worsen labour shortage: If tariffs cost Canadian pork workers their jobs, the Manitoba Pork Council and Canadian Pork Council are worried that skilled labour won’t come back once tariffs are gone.
(March 5) Tariffs threaten Indigenous farmers says National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food
(March 5) Trump pledges more tariffs on Canadian goods: Tariffs will hurt American farmers and manufacturers say Democrats, as Canadian agriculture continues to wrestle with new trade landscape.
(March 4) Tariffs Day 1: The start of the trade war: Canada and China respond in kind, while Canadian agriculture groups call for support and strategy
(March 4) Pork organizations in talks over how to shield Canadian farmers from tariff impacts: U.S. tariffs and how to limit the threat they pose for Canadian pork producers, who sell into a highly harmonized North American market, are top of mind for the industry.
(March 4) KAP looks for support for Manitoba producers in wake of tariffs: Keystone Agricultural Producers flags need for government to support farmers in wake of U.S. tariffs being imposed.
(March 4) Trump triggers trade war: Actions include tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China: Canada to retaliate
(March 4) Trudeau pledges economic support in face of U.S. tariffs: Canada working to find new trading partners, expand provincial trade says PM.
(March 4) Canola sector sees tariff pain ahead: As U.S. tariffs become reality, industry groups pledge robust advocacy efforts on both sides of the border.
(March 4) CFA tariff preparation focused on tariff exemptions, producer needs: Canadian Federation of Agriculture sees some silver lining to an otherwise bleak trade landscape; there’s a surge of national unity, but farmers will also need government support in the days ahead.
(March 4) Grain Growers of Canada react to U.S. tariffs: Grain Growers of Canada says tariffs put Canadian family-run farms, who are already under strain, at great financial risk.
(March 4) Tariffs, how much do U.S. farmers know?: Some U.S. farmers know all about the risk they face south of the border; others don’t.
Lead up to tariffs (prior to March 4, 2025)
Livestock
Canadian beef market in the balance as tariff countdown ticks: FEATURE STORY: Market analysts give their best guess on how U.S. tariffs could hit Canadian beef and cattle prices, but market uncertainty leaves a lot up in the air.
No time to relax with tariff delay, Canada’s pork sector warns: Canada should use every minute of the 30-day tariff pause to position itself for economic survival, pork sector warns.
Tariff tensions stall pork forward contracts: Canada’s pork industry faces new risks as U.S. trade policies disrupt market stability, attendees heard at the recent Manitoba Swine Seminar.
Setting cattle aside may help buffer effects of U.S. tariffs: With the Trump tariff threat looming, should Canada’s beef sector start pondering an ask for a set-aside program?
Canadian beef pitches case against tariffs to U.S. counterparts: Canadian beef may be finding a sympathetic ear with U.S. trading partners, who also have no interest in a trade war, but will that be enough?
U.S. bison ranchers rally against potential tariffs: U.S. bison producers need Canadian animals, making threatened tariffs bad new for their sector.
Crops
Tariffs mute Manitoba welcome for new potato processor: European potato company Agristo will break ground on a new North Dakota plant this year, but U.S. tariffs may stop Manitoba producers from taking advantage
U.S. tariffs looming large over canola market: U.S. tariffs are one market headwind facing canola prices, but Chinese levies are another wrinkle coming down the pipe for Canadian farmers.
Wheat sector still expecting tariff hit: Trump administration tariffs against Canada probably wouldn’t hit wheat as badly as oats or canola, but the sector says less impact is not no impact.
Don’t panic about U.S. tariffs, Canada has other buyers for its wheat: analysts: Even if tariffs do come, analysts expect that Canadian wheat feeds into enough global markets to cushion potential trade hits.
High-protein wheat expected to survive tariffs:Analysts say the global appeal of Canadian Western Red Spring wheat will help cushion the effects of any U.S. levies.
Tariff talk, volatility make market forecasts like drinking from a fire hose: The chaotic musings from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration can mean making sense of markets is nearly impossible
Canola prices could swing, with or without tariffs: Trump’s tariff threats against Canada is making the canola market hard to predict
Tariffs could heat up ‘boring’ potash market: Canada is the dominant player in the global potash trade, but it competes with Belarus and Russia for market share. If the U.S. imposes tariffs, things could get interesting fast.
Nutrien says tariffs will lead to higher costs for U.S. farmers: Company warns that producers will be the ones to absorb the extra cost if tariffs on Canadian fertilizer come into play.
General news
Anti-tariff lobbyists struggle in Washington: A prominent lobbyist in Washington, D.C., who represents manufacturers of machinery and farm equipment in America is having little success with U.S. president Donald Trump’s administration on tariffs.
Federal Government to remove some barriers to interprovincial free trade: Breaking down internal trade barriers is one of the strategies being pushed as Canada prepares for its 30-day tariff grace period to end.
Report ranks provinces by projected impact of broad U.S. tariffs: Alberta expected to be hardest hit by U.S. tariffs on oil sector losses; agriculture in Prairie provinces also set for a loss.
Insurance builds shield against tariff trade uncertainty: In an age of Trump and international trade tensions, can Canadian agriculture insure its way out of financial fallout?
Trump tariffs leave farm financial planning on shaky ground: Farmers warned to brace for lower prices if the U.S. goes forward with its threat to impose tariffs on Canadian products.
Farmers juggle mental health in face of Trump tariffs: Tariff uncertainty may be worse for mental health than if farmers knew for sure that Donald Trump’s tariffs were coming, experts say.
More food sovereignty action urged during tariff pause: The National Farmers Union argues for trade policy changes, local food system support.
Manitoba farmers wary of tariffs at Manitoba Ag Days: Most local farmers hope for resolution before the situation gets out of hand.
VIDEO: Prepare now for impact of U.S. tariffs: Farm management consultant Terry Betker says farmers should run the numbers before it’s a crisis.
Opinion
Ottawa swept away by Trump: Canada’s electoral landscape has been rapidly transformed
Trading away Canadian dairy, poultry and eggs won’t save U.S. trade: The trade landscape has changed between Canada and the U.S.; so must the discussion about supply management.
The Port of Churchill plays into Canadian sovereignty: The Port of Churchill needs ongoing public investment to survive: With Canadian sovereignty a hot topic, the future of Manitoba’s Arctic sea port is important.
Trade war worries bring back pandemic ills: Tariffs threats out of the U.S. are reviving some livestock market concerns and consumer conversations that last hit a fever pitch during COVID-19.
Concept of Canada hard to define, but worth defending: It doesn’t matter if 51st state rhetoric is ‘trash talk’ or not, we should all be behind the Canadian flag.
The second Trump era is new; protectionism is not: Canada has faced protectionism from the U.S. before.
Canada can’t afford to let its food sector be snatched in trade war: It will take political will and investment to maintain a sector vital to Canada’s national security.
Donald Trump, tariff talk and the coming Amerexit: U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff rhetoric risks breaking down the continent-wide economy the U.S., Canada and Mexico have spent decades building.
We’ve seen trade wars before, but this time is different: Canadian farmers are both being caught in the crossfire and, at the same time, targeted by looming trade spats.
We must respond to Trump but try to avoid escalation: Canada should continue to work toward becoming the kind of trading partner that we would want to deal with
