Update: Since publishing, President Trump has indicated tariffs on Canada have been delayed again, and may only take effect on April 2, 2025.
The value of agricultural trade between Canada and U.S. received some time in the spotlight in Washington, DC this week, as Canada’s agriculture minister, his colleague from Saskatchewan, and farm group representatives attended the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) winter policy conference.
Federal Ag Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Saskatchewan Ag Minister Daryl Harrison both delivered speeches to the state delegates and lawmakers on Tuesday, ahead of the looming March 4th deadline when President Trump has threatened to implement 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada.
MacAulay held formal meetings this week with NASDA CEO Ted McKinney, the secretaries of agriculture for Arkansas and Oklahoma, as well as Congressman GT Thompson of Pennsylvania, Congresswoman Angie Craig of Minnesota, and Senator John Boozman of Arkansas. He also met informally with Congressman Pat Fallon of Texas and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
“I didn’t—certainly—meet anybody that was supporting tariffs, and they were concerned about the effect they would have on the wonderful arrangement we have right across North America,” says MacAulay, discussing his trip with RealAg’s Shaun Haney in the interview below.
He has yet to meet with his direct counterpart, new U.S. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, who was scheduled to speak at the NASDA conference on Wednesday.
“We’ve been in contact, and we were hoping to meet on this trip, but it just wasn’t possible,” says MacAulay. “I want to meet her as soon as possible, because she’s pretty close to Donald Trump…she understands agriculture. She was brought up on a farm, and she understands the business itself, so hopefully will be helpful.”
March 4th marks 30 days since President Trump agreed to a 30-day pause on implementation of 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports, with a reduced 10 per cent import tax on energy products. The president has since promised to implement reciprocal tariffs, and tariffs on specific sectors, including Canada’s auto, steel, and aluminum sectors. The White House has not provided any concrete details or specifics on which of these tariffs could take effect when.
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