The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) is urging the federal government to provide direct financial assistance to meat processors facing significant losses from newly imposed Chinese tariffs. China recently introduced a 25% retaliatory tariff on Canadian pork and other goods, effective March 25, following a domestic anti-discrimination investigation.
CMC states that current support programs, such as AgriStability, are inadequate and not accessible to processors. They are seeking targeted compensation aligned with the estimated C$100 million in projected industry losses for 2025.
CMC CEO Chris White emphasized the broader implications, warning of potential layoffs and plant closures that could impact thousands of workers and local communities. The red meat sector supports 70,000 direct jobs and contributes over C$20 billion annually to the Canadian economy.
The tariffs are in response to Canada’s previous levies on Chinese-made electric vehicles, aluminum, and steel.