Manitoba farmers raise concerns over Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs
Posted February 1, 2025 5:53 pm.
Last Updated February 2, 2025 10:51 am.
Manitoba farmers have expressed concerns about the impact of tariffs on their industry. As U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, coming into effect Tuesday.
“There is a deep concern about what this is going to mean to our markets, what is it going to mean to both our pork exports and the value that we receive for pork exports because of course that filters down to the value that farmers receive as well,” said Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork.
Manitoba is the largest pig producing province in Canada, exporting over 450-million-dollars worth of pork and more than 200 million dollars worth of live hogs to the U.S. annually.
“This will have a very significant impact on Manitoba as we, like all of Canada, are highly integrated into the American economy,” said Malcolm Bird, associate professor of Political Science at University of Winnipeg.
“We don’t have enough domestic demand to replace what we ship into the United States and of course those 3 million to 3.5 million live animals that go into the U.S. every year, those don’t have an alternative,” said Dahl.
Dahl says, that with so much uncertainty surrounding the tariffs, it’s hard to prepare for what could be coming in the days ahead.
“If we do have an interruption with our largest market it is going to have a major impact on farmers and processors but it’s going to have an impact on jobs all across the province,” said Dahl.
“Some will absorb the cost, some will have to raise their prices, some will lose market share, people will lose their jobs,” said Bird. “There will be considerable disruption to the supply chains and the entire economy.”
To provide support for local businesses through this stressful time, the Manitoba government launched a tariff hotline that will be open from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM through out the weekend.