Simply days away from the inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump, industries throughout Alberta are getting ready for the looming risk of tariffs to change into a actuality.
The specter of sweeping tariffs on all Canadian items exported to the U.S. has created uncertainty in Alberta’s agriculture trade, as beef manufacturing requires a number of journeys backwards and forwards throughout the forty ninth parallel.
“It’s a complete lot of ‘what if,’” Alberta Cattle Feeders Affiliation president Janice Tranberg instructed World Information.
“It’s arduous to say for positive however there may be numerous concern.”
In keeping with Ryan Kasko, who runs Kasko Cattle Firm exterior of Lethbridge, it’s a tough to plan forward.
A 25 per cent tariff, the worst case state of affairs he mentioned, would end in $1,000 in misplaced worth per head of cattle.
“Frankly, most farms would go bankrupt actual fast,” Kasko instructed World Information.
Beef led Alberta’s agricultural exports to the U.S. in 2023 at $3.1 billion, adopted by crude canola oil at $1.2 billion, dwell cattle (excluding purebred) at $980.2 million, processed potatoes at $716.5 million, and oilseed cake and meal $666.1 million, in keeping with figures from the Authorities of Alberta.
Given the quantity Alberta exports to the U.S., Kasko mentioned the impacts of commerce restrictions would even be felt by People within the grocery retailer.
“I feel in an inflationary setting the place meals prices have been going up, it’s opposite to what you’d suppose to be regular behaviour — to place tariffs on that can enhance meals costs even larger,” he mentioned.
“I’m fairly optimistic that widespread sense will prevail.”
In a press release to World Information, Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson mentioned the province is “very involved in regards to the potential for tariffs.”
Sigurdson mentioned Alberta exported $8.9 billion of main agriculture and value-added merchandise to the U.S. final yr.
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“There’s nonetheless loads of unknowns in regards to the attainable influence of tariffs, however we’ll work with the incoming administration and trade to make sure our meals producers and forestry sector’s voices are heard,” Sigurdson’s assertion mentioned.
Impacts are additionally anticipated at companies like Rangeland RV, which usually ships metal, aluminum and different motorhome components backwards and forwards from the US.
“It will possibly have an effect on all the pieces from timing of components, costs of components, costs of RVs, labour charges and all the pieces in between,” Rangeland RV’s vice-president of gross sales, Cody Nielsen, instructed World Information.
However phrase the federal authorities is planning a first-round of counter-tariffs on $37 billion price of products deemed much less dangerous to the financial system, the Calgary Chamber of Commerce is urging a unique strategy.
“The Calgary Chamber’s members have made it very clear to us that no sector needs to be used as a bargaining chip,” the Chamber’s Ruhee Ismail-Teja instructed World Information.
In keeping with the chamber, retaliatory measures would “mimic and amplify” the impacts of U.S. tariffs, decreasing the worth of Canadian vitality merchandise.
Figures from the Chamber of Commerce present the vitality trade represents 25 per cent of Canada’s whole exports and accounts for $150 billion in annual commerce with the U.S.
“The ‘Group Canada’ strategy is just not misplaced at this level,” Ismail-Teja mentioned.
“It’s a difficult state of affairs for political leaders to be in, the place they each must champion the wants of their province or jurisdiction but in addition stand with their colleagues to have as united a entrance as attainable.”
The Authorities of Alberta can also be talking out in opposition to any retaliatory measures that may influence the vitality sector.
“Tariffs would probably influence tons of of hundreds of jobs in Alberta,” mentioned a spokesperson for the Finance Ministry in a press release to World Information.
“But when the federal authorities imposes an import tax or ban on vitality merchandise, the influence could be crippling to the livelihoods of each Albertan.”
© 2025 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
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