Since imposing war tariffs on Russia and Belarus in response to the Ukraine invasion, Canada has collected more than $102 million, with a significant portion coming from Russian fertilizer imports, according to newly released government records.“Between March 2, 2022, and June 30, 2024, $101.7 million in Customs duties were collected on total imports of goods originating from these countries,” the Department of Finance stated in a Senate Order Paper submission. Of that, $33.7 million came from tariffs on Russian fertilizer shipments.“While having greatly decreased, there are still some tariff revenues collected at the general tariff of 35% on sporadic imports from Russia and Belarus,” noted the department, without providing further details.Blacklock's Reporter said the figures were disclosed at the request of Sen. Donald Plett (Man.), Opposition Leader in the Senate, who asked for the total amount collected under the 35% tariff on Russian and Belarusian fertilizer since its implementation in March 2022.Canada introduced the tariffs just days after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Pre-war imports from Russia were valued at $1.8 billion annually, consisting mainly of processed minerals and chemicals. In comparison, Canada imports $6 billion annually from North Dakota alone. Pre-tariff imports from Belarus were even lower, at $23 million a year.Other sanctions included a federal ban on Russian aircraft from Canadian airspace and Russian ships from Canadian ports. “We will not hesitate to enforce any breaches,” then-Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said at the time.The government also took steps to counter Russian propaganda, blacklisting the Russian news agency Itar-Tass as a "disinformation entity" and delisting Russia Today from Canadian cable networks.In a symbolic move, the House of Commons unanimously voted to rename the street in front of the Russian Embassy in Ottawa in honor of Ukraine’s president. “You know what? You have to pick sides,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters at the time, emphasizing Canada's commitment to increasing pressure on Russia.“There is a tremendous willingness among the world’s democracies to just continue ratcheting up the pressure,” said Freeland, highlighting the innovative tools used to sanction Russia. "Everyone is up for everything," she added.
