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.

S-230 (45-1) - National Strategy for Soil Health Act

Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
Date: 2026-10-29 17:14:02.0
Tags: [National, Agriculture, Environment, Governance]

Bill S-230, the National Strategy for Soil Health Act sponsored by Senator Robert Black, has progressed to debate at second reading in the House of Commons during the 45th Parliament, 1st session. The Senate Public Bill proposes the development of a comprehensive national strategy focused on soil health protection, conservation, and enhancement. Following its introduction and first reading in June 2025, the bill passed through the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry with amendments before receiving third reading in the Senate in March 2026. The legislation was subsequently introduced and read a first time in the House of Commons in April 2026, with ongoing second reading debate taking place in October 2026.

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.

P.E.I. non-profit eyes food hub expansion with possible federal funding

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-10-17 19:47:43.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, National, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Affordability]

The Prince Edward Island non-profit Growers Station is preparing to apply for federal funding under Ottawa's $3.2 billion, 10-year food security strategy to finance a major physical expansion. The organization aims to double its current operational footprint to increase cold storage capacity, improve distribution for small-scale local Island farmers, and establish an onsite retail and pick-up option alongside its existing online ordering platform. By scaling up physical infrastructure and delivery capacity, the non-profit intends to extend the seasonal availability of local produce and lower operational costs for both producers and small grocers.

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.

Sask. premier unsurprised that Trump now says U.S. will continue with Canadian potash

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-22 23:01:17.0
Tags: [National, Saskatchewan, Trade, Mining, Resources, Agriculture]

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump's stated plan to purchase potash from Belarus as unrealistic and unethical, labelling the product "blood potash" that supports Russian aggression in Ukraine. Following Trump's initial social media post regarding a potential discount trade deal with Belarus, the U.S. president subsequently clarified at the United Nations General Assembly that the United States will continue sourcing its potash from Canada. In 2024, nearly a third of the world's potash came from Canada, with all active production originating from 11 mines in Saskatchewan.

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.

$3.1M federal funding aims to improve swine disease testing in Canada

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-04 18:00:00.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, National, Agriculture, Industry, Technology]

The federal government is providing over $3.1 million in funding, administered by the Canadian Pork Council and supported by the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown, to expand and modernize swine health surveillance across Canada. The initiative introduces multiplex assay technology capable of testing for seven pig viruses from a single sample at a cost of about $9 per target, significantly improving both cost and time efficiency compared to traditional individual tests. The project also establishes a targeted national proficiency program for veterinary labs and creates a secure surveillance database to track swine viruses and enhance early detection.