Canadian pork producers brace for Trump’s February 1 target for US tariffs

With the threat of a 25% tariff on all imported Canadian goods on 1 February, Canadian pork producers who ship pigs across the southern border are feeling stressed. President Trump has threatened tariffs as a way to ensure the federal and provincial governments in Canada curb illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking into his country. Manitoba pig farmers are especially concerned, as 40% of production in that province – about 3 million of the 8 million pigs finished annually – is exported to the US. Manitoba Pork Chair Rick Préjet stated recently that tariffs “could have a very significant impact on what farmers and producers in Manitoba receive” for exported pigs. In his mind, if tariffs are applied, it will be a question of “how badly” a given Manitoba producer needs to ship pigs to stay afloat, and how much desire there will be among Americans to buy these more-expensive pigs. “Where is that going to settle out?” Préjet asks. “That is a huge unknown.” The North American ...