Saskatchewan Farmer Calls for Tariff Exemptions for Agriculture

A partner with Polar Pork suggests, in the event of U.S. import tariffs on Canadian and Mexican products, it would be appropriate to exempt agriculture. On February 3rd, U.S. President Donald Trump delayed the imposition of 25 percent across the board tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico.

Florian Possberg, a partner with Polar Pork, says Canadian and U.S. agriculture are highly integrated, especially when it comes to pork, so tariffs will hurt farmers in both countries.

Quote-Florian Possberg-Polar Pork:

Our industries are hugely integrated. They talk about the car industry where parts of a car can cross the border six times before it's finally put together on the car. It may not be six times in pork but a lot of product is moved across the border, is processed in different part of two nations and it crosses back over the border for sale.

Those are relationships that have built up over many years and they're built up because it's good business. We've always had some irritants, country of origin labelling, health restrictions, cross border impediments. We've always been able to work through those things.We would hope that the tariffs can go away permanently.

If they can't across the board, that agriculture would at least be set aside. We're not sure how that's going to play out because we know that the last negotiation between the United States, Mexico and Canada that our supply management in poultry and dairy was quite an irritant, particularly for the Americans.Hopefully things like that won't be used against a free trade industry like the beef and hog industry.

Possberg says the 30-day delay was a huge relief but we need to make that permanent.