2 days Ago By Noah Brennan
Alberta beef producers have been anxiously waiting to see how 25 per cent tariffs on exports to the U.S. will affect their industry.
Markets have been in turmoil since U.S. President Donald Trump followed through Tuesday on his threat to impose sweeping, economywide, 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, with a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded by immediately placing 25 per cent tariffs on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods, with another $125 billion against U.
S. products to come in 21 days. On Thursday, Trump delayed some of the tariffs until April 2 , leading Canada to announce it was halting its second wave of retaliatory levies.
Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Amid the dispute, Canadian cattle groups have been looking to diversify export markets, process more domestically and push for improvements to government support programs. Alberta’s beef industry is closely linked with the U.
S. The province exported $8.79 billion worth of food and agriculture to the U.
S. in 2023, of which bovine meat accounted for $2.89 billion.
U.S. beef exports have been steadily increasing in recent years, jumping nearly 21 per cent between 2022 and 2023.
One-fifth of harvest-ready cattle in Alberta are exported to the United States, according to Curtis Vander Heyden, vice-chair of the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association. “In a week, you’re (taking) $10 million to $12 million directly out of the pockets of a feedlot producer in Alberta,” Vander Heyden said of the tariffs. “That gets very scary for the overall economic standpoint of the whole industry.
” Kim Wachtler’s family has been operating Burke Creek Ranch for 135 years, across four generations. On Thursday, Wachtler said her family was “anxiously waiting” to see the effect of U.S.
tariffs on their business. She said an expected drop in commodity beef prices and rising input costs would not be good for business. “We’re very concerned,” she said.
“It’s going to be a significant impact on our industry, and especially a small family businesses.” “We’re surprised that Trump wants to do this,” she added, citing Alberta’s beef industry being “very integrated” with the U.S.
Despite her fears, she notes an upside of tariff threats has been increased local support for their direct-to-consumer beef. “For the beef that I’m marketing direct to consumer, there has been an increase in demand and sales because of the looming tariffs,” she said. “We’re selling out our direct to consumer beef a lot more rapidly than normal.
” The rancher says she has only heard speculation of government support programs..
