AFBF Urges U.S, Canada To Return To Restart Negotiations

The U.S. and Canada announced dueling tariffs on imports going back and forth between the neighboring countries after USMCA negotiations failed. Virginia Houston, senior director of government relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said after President Trump announced a 50% tariff on Canadian imports, Canada retaliated with tariffs of their own, matching the U.S. tariffs dollar-for-dollar, with those tariffs starting Tuesday September 8th. She added Canada is targeting a host of U.S. agricultural products.

“Dairy is probably the biggest ag product they have put retaliatory tariffs on, as well as some ag equipment," Houston said. "Originally, Canada announced they would tariff U.S. seafood exports to Canada, which is about a $1 billion industry in 2025. However, Canada announced that they would not tariff U.S. seafood exports. That supply chain is very highly integrated.”

Welcome Canada Back To The Table

Houston said the future of USMCA remains uncertain but negotiation is still possible.

“I am still hopeful for USMCA," said Houston. "So, you know, right now the U.S. has been negotiating or not negotiating in a bilateral fashion. So separately with Mexico, separately with Canada, but they haven't come to the table altogether. Farm Bureau is still pushing for a renegotiated USMCA, and we are still pushing the administration in Canada to come back to the table and find a resolution that de-escalates this tariff battle.”

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