Farmers, maple syrup producers braced for tariffs before pause

Farmers in New Brunswick were preparing Monday for the impact of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian exports to the United States.

But late in the day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said U.S. President Donald Trump will hold off on levying tariffs on Canada for at least 30 days. Trump had promised they'd start on Tuesday at midnight.

Joël Lamarche, president of the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick, said that if tariffs are eventually brought in, local farmers could see both reduced markets for goods and higher prices for machinery at home.

"I think we're going to see a raise in cost of farming ... and all goods coming from the U.S.," he said.

"The fact that the dollar just went down, it's a lot more expensive for us to buy from the States."

Lamarche said agricultural products that will be heavily impacted include potatoes, grains and livestock, but supply management practices for dairy, eggs and poultry should help those industries stabilize.

New Brunswick exports a lot of its agricultural products to the United States, including maple syrup.

Frédérick Dion, the president of the N.B. Maple Syrup Association, said 75 per cent of Canada's maple syrup is exported south of the border, so any threat of tariffs is taken seriously.

"It could mean the consumer [will decide] to use something else instead of the maple syrup," Dion said.

Cranberries are another product that could be impacted by tariffs.

New Brunswick is the third-largest producer of cranberries in the country, and upwards of 90 per cent of the harvest is sent to the U.S.

Donald Daigle, the president of the N.B. Cranberries Agency, said "buyers are very nervous at this point, like a lot of Canadians are."

Silver linings

There are some bright spots. Dion said most of the yield expected for this year has already been sold, so that prices should stay stable for producers.

But as long as Trump is in office, Dion fears the threat will remain.

"Certainly it's going to be a roller-coaster, another four-year roller-coaster, I think," said Dion.

Dion said he'd like to see more maple syrup used in Canada and to boost already growing trade relationships with Europe and Asia.

"We need to put some more effort there," said Dion.

Lamarche said New Brunswickers that are looking to help out local farmers should keep a close eye out at the grocery store and buy Canadian and local products.

Better yet, when in season, go to a farmers' market and buy directly from the source.