Keeping farmers’ voices heard in tariff and trade challenges

By Drew Spoelstra, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

To say that there’s been a lot going on in the world over the last eight months would be an understatement. We’ve come through both a provincial and a federal election here at home, which have brought changes. Drought and wildfires have made headlines and caused stress and challenges for those affected.

The biggest development, however, has been the arrival of a new administration south of the border, which, in short order, has turned long-standing world relationships upside down, upended supply chains and created an unpredictable global tariff and trade situation that continues to remain fluid.

Since March, Canada has been dealing with a variety of tariffs at various levels on our exports to the United States, including steel, aluminum, automotive, energy and products not covered under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

In response, Canada placed reciprocal duties on approximately $60 billion worth of U.S. goods in March. On September 1, Canada exempted CUSMA-compliant U.S. products from its retaliatory tariffs, covering $30 billion worth of U.S. goods, but tariffs remain in place on imports of U.S. steel, aluminum, and autos.

An August 1 deadline for our two countries to reach a new deal on tariffs has come and gone with no new announcements – except executive orders upping U.S. tariffs on non-CUSMA-compliant Canadian goods to 35% and adding a 50% tariff on some copper imports.

In many ways, the agriculture and agri-food sector has been spared – so far – the direct hit that some other industries have taken in this trade war, but as with everything else in dealing with the new reality south of the border, that could change in a heartbeat.

And that doesn’t mean there haven’t been impacts felt right across our sector, from high prices for equipment parts to tariffs on cans for processing tomatoes and floral packaging.

Additionally, Canadian pork and canola producers are dealing with steep tariffs from China on their exports. China is one of the biggest buyers of both commodities, and canola growers in particular are calling on the federal government for immediate supports as well as expanding our domestic processing capacity and diversifying export markets.

And with CUSMA renegotiation yet to come as the current agreement expires next year, the future is far from clear.

I’m the President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), and we’ve heard first-hand from local farm leaders at two roundtables we hosted this summer as well as at our regional meetings currently underway across the province that tariffs and trade continue to be a top concern.

In addition to meeting with our members, we also work closely with leaders of other agricultural organizations and stay in regular contact with our national counterparts at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

To put it simply, we’re continuing to work on many fronts to understand and find solutions for the impacts and challenges on the agriculture sector – as well as for the new opportunities this may present.

These include developing targeted support programs and better risk management solutions for farmers, investing in agriculture’s productive capacity, supporting buy local initiatives, expanding export markets and supporting homegrown solutions.

We welcome efforts to build stronger relationships with other countries around the world and we’re encouraged by announcements of investments into infrastructure like ports, roads, bridges and energy that will help make it easier to get our goods to market.

We’re advocating with government to make sure they’re aware of the needs of a sector that contributes more than $50 billion to the Ontario economy every year, employs over 870,000 people, and exports more than $26 billion in goods annually.

Removing or reducing interprovincial trade barriers also continues to be a significant topic and some meaningful progress has been made over the last several months. Ontario passed the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act in June and OFA has provided comments to the regulation development process under this act, which is now underway.

The legislation now permits direct-to-consumer alcohol sales from any province that provides reciprocal treatment to Ontario products, which is a significant shift from previous law restricting alcohol shipments across provincial borders.

The legislation also enhances labour mobility by recognizing skilled trades and medical professionals certified elsewhere in Canada.

Agriculture is an incredibly diverse sector – more than 200 different products are grown, raised and produced in Ontario alone – which often also makes solutions complex. As governments of all levels nation-wide tackle this important file, we continue to work to make sure agriculture is at the table when discussions and consultations are taking place.

At the end of the day, Ontario’s farmers are resilient and adaptable, but we can’t face these challenges alone. Strong partnerships with government, industry, and consumers are essential to ensure our sector remains competitive, sustainable, and positioned for growth.

As trade realities continue to shift, OFA will keep pushing for policies that protect farm businesses, open new market opportunities, and strengthen the infrastructure that supports our entire food system. Agriculture is more than an economic driver—it’s the foundation of our communities and our way of life, and we’re committed to making sure it remains strong for generations to come.

For more information, contact:

Tyler Brooks
Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-994-2578
comms@ofa.on.ca

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