U.S. pork industry asks Canada for tariff exemption

The National Pork Producers Council wrote to the Ministry of Finance on March 21

An American pork industry group has reached out to Canadian officials regarding the ongoing trade war between the two border countries.

A March 21 letter from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) to the Ministry of Finance asks Canada to spare U.S. pork from any potential retaliatory tariffs it may impose on American goods.

“While we understand the impulse to impose tariffs on U.S. goods in response to unjustified U.S. tariffs, such duties likely would rupture the integrated supply chain that has been so beneficial to our two countries, especially since the creation of NAFTA,” the letter says.

The NPPC’s letter highlights cross-border trade figures.

Canada imported more than $850 million of pork products from the U.S. and exported about $1.7 billion of pork products to the south.

Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec together account for about 81 per cent of Canada’s swine inventory.

Globally, Canada ranks in the top five for pork exports, The Observatory of Economic Complexity says.

The NPPC is urging Canada to keep free trade open for pork to ensure Canadians and Americans benefit from it.

“This two-way trade is mutually beneficial for our countries and for producers and consumers alike,” the letter reads. “In contrast, escalating trade wars will produce no winners. A trade war will leave the North American pork sector weaker and more fragmented.”

Canada currently has tariffs on $30 billion of U.S. goods including orange juice, peanut butter and other products.

Those went into effect on March 4, with Canada also identifying another $125 billion of U.S. products that could be subject to tariffs.

The list of additional goods includes swine and related products.