Canada has announced it will place higher tariffs on U.S. beef imports starting on Sunday, July 1. Kent Bacus is the NCBA Director of International Trade and Market Access, and he says Canada has finally followed through on actions it’s been threatening for months. “Canada has followed through on a threat to slap a tariff on $170 million worth of U.S. beef products in direct response to the steel and aluminum tariffs,” he said. “Now, they’ve made good on that threat. These retaliatory tariffs are clearly still avoidable. The unfortunate casualties will be Canadian consumers, as well as American cattlemen and cattlewomen.”
He adds that the NCBA may not know the extent of the damage done to American producers, but the NCBA says cooperation is a better path forward than escalation. Bacus adds, “As Canadians gather to celebrate Canada Day and we prepare to celebrate American Independence, we encourage our government and the Canadian government to remember that we are allies and we rely on each other for future economic prosperity.”
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.