Staring down a $40M tariff bill, this American importer is suing Trump to end some tariffs on Canada

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Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-30 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Agriculture, Industry]

The U.S. food distributor Gellert Global Group is suing the Trump administration in the U.S. Court of International Trade to overturn a 50 per cent tariff bill estimated at $40 million US on Canadian dairy and food imports. Filed by the Liberty Justice Center, the lawsuit challenges the administration's reliance on Section 338 of the U.S. Tariff Act (Smoot-Hawley Act), arguing the executive branch lacks the statutory authority to impose sweeping punitive tariffs under the guise of foreign trade discrimination. The disputed trade actions affect approximately $80 million US in annual Canadian cheese imports, including products from Mariposa Dairy in Lindsay, Ontario, while domestic dairy processors face supply shortages and potential permanent loss of commercial shelf space.

Maine senator says ‘tariff exemptions’ coming for some Canadian goods

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-23 18:59:20.0
Tags: [National, Trade, Agriculture, Economy]

Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is granting tariff exemptions on nine specific categories of Canadian agricultural and packaging goods crucial to Maine industries. The targeted exemptions include corrugated paper or paperboard cartons and boxes, plastic packing bags, refrigeration equipment, agricultural machinery, and seaweed products. The announcement comes amid a tight midterm election campaign where Sen. Collins is facing a dead-heat race against Democrat Troy Jackson, and follows industry complaints regarding supply chain disruptions and a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian goods. As of publication, neither President Trump nor the White House has formally confirmed the statement or detailed the duration of the exemptions.

Trump to exempt some Canadian products from tariffs amid midterm pressure

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-23 18:44:33.0
Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Agriculture, Industry]

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is poised to lift 50 per cent tariffs—originally imposed in August in retaliation for Canadian countermeasures—on specific Canadian products, including paper and plastic items, refrigeration and packaging equipment, agricultural machinery, and seaweed and algae products. U.S. Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine announced the impending exemptions following intense lobbying by border-state businesses and agricultural producers, such as Maine blueberry growers reliant on Canadian harvesting boxes and cardboard totes, who faced acute supply shortages and political pressures ahead of the November U.S. midterms. Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canada remains open to a mutually beneficial trade agreement with the U.S. that protects Canadian interests, noting the government is under no deadline to rush a deal.

Fisheries minister travelling to China ahead of lobster, crab tariff deadline

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-15 14:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Trade, Fisheries, Agriculture, Economy]

Federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson is scheduled to travel to China at the end of October 2026 to negotiate market access and a potential extension for the suspension of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian lobster and crab. The tariff, which impacts approximately 80 per cent of Canadian seafood exports to China, was originally imposed in 2025 following Canadian duties on Chinese steel, aluminum, and electric vehicles, before being temporarily suspended in January under a trade arrangement. In 2024, Canada exported $1.3 billion in seafood to China, making it Canada's second-largest seafood export partner out of total national fish and seafood exports valued at $8.5 billion across 114 countries.

2027 Saskatchewan Agriculture Student Scholarship Now Accepting Applications

Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
Date: 2026-10-07 21:00:00.0
Tags: [Saskatchewan, National, Agriculture, Education, Economy]

The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan have opened applications for the 2027 Agriculture Student Scholarship, which is funded through the federal-provincial Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Four scholarships are available to eligible Saskatchewan high school and CAEC graduates entering agriculture-related post-secondary education, featuring a top prize of $6,000 and three runner-up awards of $3,000 each. Applicants must submit a three-minute video or 1,000-word essay addressing solutions to challenges in agriculture by the March 1, 2027 deadline. The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership represents a five-year, $3.5-billion federal, provincial, and territorial investment running from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2028.

Liberals look to amend 31 laws at once in attempt to reduce red tape

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-07 20:55:26.0
Tags: [National, Governance, Economy, Industry, Agriculture]

The Liberal government introduced Bill S-7, a legislative package designed to amend 31 federal laws simultaneously to reduce bureaucratic red tape following a cross-departmental regulatory review ordered by Prime Minister Mark Carney in July 2025. Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali confirmed the legislation targets areas identified by federal departments, including fertilizer regulations, bankruptcy procedures, Canadian Dairy Commission appointments, animal waste management, and the adoption of electronic tools and new technologies.

What's the state of Canada's trade talks with the U.S.?

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-29 21:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Prince Edward Island, Trade, Agriculture, Economy]

Federal Agriculture Minister and Prince Edward Island Member of Parliament Heath MacDonald returned to Parliament Hill to address ongoing trade negotiations and a trade war with the United States. In discussions with CBC News, MacDonald focused on the impact on the Canadian economy and the federal government's efforts to identify and establish new international partnerships. The developments come amid heightened bilateral tensions involving various tariff disputes and trade envoy communications between Canada and the United States.

U.S. bans on Canadian booze hit producers on one of the trade war's thorniest fronts

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-29 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, British Columbia, Trade, Economy, Industry, Agriculture]

As part of an escalating Canada-U.S. trade war, the U.S. federal government implemented an import ban prohibiting certain Canadian products—including specific alcohol items, dairy byproducts, molasses, and motorcycles—from crossing the border entirely. The restrictions disproportionately affect independent operators like British Columbia-based distillery Sons of Vancouver, while sparing major multinational spirits companies due to exemptions for bulk shipments over certain volumes. Trade data shows the U.S. previously imported $673 million US in spirits from Canada in 2025, with Spirits Canada noting that about 93 per cent of exported Canadian liquor is destined for the U.S. market. The measures follow retaliatory moves by Canadian provincial premiers who pulled U.S.-made alcohol from provincially run liquor store shelves in March 2025 in response to initial American tariffs.

Competition Bureau investigates minimum advertised pricing policies in grocery sector

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-28 15:34:28.0
Tags: [National, Economy, Affordability, Agriculture]

The Competition Bureau has launched an official investigation into minimum advertised pricing (MAP) policies utilized within Canada's grocery sector. Led by interim competition commissioner Jeanne Pratt, the watchdog is examining whether these pricing rules restrict grocers from advertising their lowest prices, limit price competition, erect barriers for discount and new grocers, and facilitate price coordination among major retailers. The agency is actively soliciting evidence from industry participants and consumers to assess the impact of these pricing restrictions on food affordability and consumer choice across the food supply chain.

Vietnam's president upgrades Canada to strategic partner during state visit

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-25 00:01:25.0
Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Defence, Agriculture, Energy]

Vietnamese President Tô Lâm undertook a state visit to Ottawa to upgrade bilateral ties with Canada to a strategic partnership, collaborating with Prime Minister Mark Carney to strengthen middle-power alignment against American and Chinese economic coercion. Global Affairs Canada data shows that two-way merchandise trade between Canada and Vietnam surpassed $20 billion last year, making Vietnam Canada's largest trading partner in Southeast Asia. The renewed partnership encompasses expanded co-operation in energy, agriculture, defence, technology, and prospective direct commercial air travel, while aligning both nations' supply chain diversification strategies under the CPTPP trade framework.

Carney government is inconsistent in how it labels spending, budget watchdog says

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-24 16:39:13.0
Tags: [National, Finance, Economy, Governance, Agriculture]

The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, led by Annette Ryan, released a report criticizing the federal Liberal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney for having inconsistent and contradictory definitions of spending within its new budget framework. The framework separates day-to-day operating expenses from capital investment measures, but lacks the stringent definitions used in jurisdictions like the United Kingdom, leading to discrepancies such as two similar Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada programs for farm equipment being classified differently. While Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne's office maintains that the government will balance its operating budget next year, the Parliamentary Budget Office projects that Ottawa will reach this fiscal anchor two years later.

Canada leaving billions on the table by not processing more crops at home, new agri-food study says

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-22 19:22:15.0
Tags: [Saskatchewan, National, Agriculture, Economy, Industry, Trade]

A report commissioned by the agri-food trade group Protein Industries Canada and prepared by Ernst & Young LLP reveals that redirecting 10 per cent of Canada’s raw crop exports to domestic value-added processing could generate up to $5.4 billion in additional GDP, $1.1 billion in government revenue, and 34,000 full-time equivalent jobs. Released during the Plant Forward trade show in Saskatoon, the study highlights sectors including human food, animal feed, ingredient processing, and bio-industrial applications, while noting that growth is hindered by regulatory inefficiencies, transportation bottlenecks, and inter-provincial trade barriers. Industry leaders like Louis Dreyfus Company Canada and Food Health and Consumer Products of Canada emphasize the need for capital investment in domestic manufacturing facilities, such as Louis Dreyfus's canola crushing and pea processing plant in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Report recommendations include establishing a scientific advisory body for novel products, investor roundtables, regional cold-storage hubs, and a two-province pilot project to eliminate inter-provincial trade barriers.

Trump says he wants potash from Belarus for ‘subtantially less’ than Canada

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-09-21 15:48:33.0
Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Agriculture, Mining, Resources]

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States is working on a trade deal to purchase potash from Belarus for substantially less than current imports from Canada, escalating ongoing trade tensions. Canada currently supplies 79 per cent of U.S. potash imports, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, while Belarus accounts for three per cent. Trade talks between Canada and the United States collapsed previously after Ottawa walked away from negotiating terms demanded by Washington, prompting the U.S. to impose retaliatory tariffs and import restrictions against Canada.

Canadian agri-food industry gets $1B federal funding boost for domestic production projects

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-14 22:22:43.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Agriculture, Economy, Industry, Trade]

The federal government has launched the $1-billion Agri-Food Project Finance Fund, delivered through Farm Credit Canada, to expand domestic processing and manufacturing capacity for mid-market projects with capital costs ranging from $25 million to $500 million. Announced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald as part of the $3.2-billion National Food Security Strategy, the fund aims to reduce reliance on foreign processing and lower logistics costs. Additionally, Farm Credit Canada committed $150 million to Velocity Agri-Capital Partners, led by general partner Arlene Dickinson, which will combine with $350 million in private investment to support mid-sized agri-food businesses targeting export markets in Southeast Asia.

Carney’s cabinet meets in Banff as Trump escalates trade war

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-09-10 12:18:28.0
Tags: [National, Alberta, Trade, Economy, Governance, Agriculture]

Prime Minister Mark Carney's cabinet is holding closed-door meetings in Banff, Alberta, to plan the federal legislative agenda for the upcoming fall sitting of Parliament amid an escalating trade war with the United States. The cabinet retreat follows U.S. President Donald Trump's signing of executive orders to ban certain Canadian imports later in the month, including alcohol, motorcycles, and dairy products. This U.S. action is part of an ongoing tit-for-tat trade dispute after Ottawa levied tens of billions of dollars in counter-tariffs following the breakdown of bilateral trade negotiations.

Inuvialuit Regional Corporation wants to start selling meat from Canada's only reindeer herd

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-07 11:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Agriculture, Indigenous, Economy, Industry]

The federal government has announced up to $885,225 in funding through the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program to the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to develop a self-sustaining agribusiness. The funding will support the construction of a new packaging and processing facility in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, scheduled to operate by fall 2027, to sell meat from the Mackenzie Delta reindeer herd—Canada's only reindeer herd—to grocery stores across Inuit Nunangat and Canada. The herd, purchased by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation in 2021, has grown from approximately 1,500 animals to over 7,000, while continuing to provide free meat to local Inuvialuit families in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.

Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan Announce Support for Producers Through the 2026 AgriStability Program

Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
Date: 2026-09-03 17:22:16.943794
Tags: [National, Saskatchewan, Agriculture, Economy]

Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit announced key modifications to the 2026 AgriStability Program to assist producers impacted by excess moisture and localized flooding. The changes permit late participation for Saskatchewan producers until October 1, 2026, for those who missed the original April 30 deadline, albeit with a reduced benefit. Additionally, the interim payment rate for Saskatchewan producers is raised from 50 per cent to 75 per cent of the estimated final benefit to improve immediate cash flow. Administered through the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the program factors unseeded acres, flooded crop land, lost livestock, and alternative feed expenses into its margin calculations.

Canadian diesel refiners churn out record profit margins, adding pressure on farmers, cost of goods

Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-01 11:00:37.0
Tags: [Alberta, National, Energy, Economy, Agriculture, Transportation]

Canadian diesel refining margins reached record highs, topping an all-time high of 119.4 cents a litre on August 19 according to Kalibrate Canada, driven by supply constraints including knocked-out Russian refining capacity and Strait of Hormuz export disruptions. The price spike adds significant operational cost pressures on key sectors like agriculture—where Alberta farms had harvested only 1.1 per cent of major crops by August 18—as well as rail and trucking freight. Facilities such as the Sturgeon Refinery northeast of Edmonton, jointly owned by the Government of Alberta and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., produce approximately 40,300 barrels of diesel a day, but consumers continue to face retail prices averaging about $2.30 a litre due to fuel selling into global markets.

Newfoundland and Labrador Supports Accelerated Action to Strengthen Internal Trade Across Canada

Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
Date: 2026-08-28 14:50:15.0
Tags: [National, Newfoundland and Labrador, Trade, Labour, Economy, Agriculture]

Federal, provincial, and territorial ministers meeting in Iqaluit, Nunavut, agreed to accelerate efforts to reach an agreement in principle by fall 2026 on model mutual recognition legislation to create a common Canadian market and support labour mobility. Ministers ratified amendments to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement establishing a 30-day service standard for labour mobility applications and committed to expanding the Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement to services by December 2026. Additionally, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency introduced concierge services and targeted exemptions under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations to allow provincial red meat slaughter facilities to trade low volumes interprovincially. Nine premiers also signed an operating agreement in July 2026 regarding direct-to-consumer sales of alcoholic beverages.

Loblaw is bringing back country of origin labels amid ‘Buy Canadian’ push

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-08-26 19:35:59.0
Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Agriculture, Industry]

Loblaw is reintroducing country-of-origin labels in its fresh produce aisles and bringing back the 'T' symbol on shelf labels for direct U.S. imports affected by federal counter-tariffs taking effect on September 8, 2026. The move responds to consumer demand and a broader 'Buy Canadian' push amid escalating Canada-U.S. trade tensions. Industry Minister Melanie Joly publicly urged consumers to purchase Canadian goods to protect domestic jobs, while retail experts noted that integrated supply chains continue to make product origin labeling complex.