If you rely on canola seed sourced from the U.S., you might be paying more this year—and not because of the seed itself.
On March 4, 2025, the Canadian government slapped a 25% tariff on a range of U.S. imports in response to American trade measures. Buried in that list? A key input for Western Canadian growers: low-erucic acid rape seed—better known as canola seed.
The move may have been aimed at Washington, but it’s producers who could feel the pinch.
“It’s a painful irony,” says Lauren Comin, policy director at Seeds Canada. “We’re a global leader in canola, but we don’t produce all our hybrid seed here. About 25% comes from the U.S., where the growing conditions help meet very specific production needs.”