Canadian Honey Council warns US tariffs could jeopardize domestic beekeepers, crop pollination

CALGARY — If the United States maintains a new 50% tariff on Canadian honey, domestic honey producers could face falling prices, farm closures and wider consequences for crop pollination, according to the Canadian Honey Council (CHC).New tariffs took effect on August 22 as part of a broader US package targeting more than 550 Canadian products, including honey, wine, sporting goods and building materials.In response, Ottawa launched retaliatory measures on American products — set to take effect on September 8 — with natural honey included on the list of affected products.Rod Scarlett, executive director of the Canadian Honey Council, told the Western Standard that honey normally shipped south of the border may now have to be redirected into Canada, which could potentially add pressure to the domestic market.However, he said several factors could help Canada absorb the displaced supply.“It might, depending on what steps are taken to limit imported honey,” Scarlett said when asked whether redirected exports could create a domestic surplus..TRUMP'S TARIFFS TARNISH TOILET TIME: US facing toilet paper price surge amid trade war with Canada.“The counter-tariff on US honey opens up a small opportunity in the domestic market.”The CHC is also urging the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to increase its testing of imported honey for adulteration, which Scarlett said could create substantially more room for genuine Canadian honey on store shelves.Adulterated honey can contain added syrups or other sweeteners while still being marketed as pure honey, allowing it to be sold at prices legitimate producers may struggle to match.Scarlett also said the developing Prairie honey crop appears to be smaller than normal, with some preliminary estimates suggesting production could be down between 20% and 30%, “which would also mitigate a domestic oversupply issue.”The US remains Canada’s largest foreign market for honey, with Canada having exported roughly 5.36 million kilograms of honey to the US during the first six months of the year, valued at nearly $27 million.While annual exports can fluctuate considerably due to production and commodity prices, Scarlett estimates Canada typically sells between 20 and 30 million pounds of honey per year, on average, worth between $20 and $50 million to American buyers.In 2025, for example, Canada exported 21 million pounds of honey globally, which was valued at $53.7 million, with more than half of those exports heading south of the 49th parallel.On the flip side, the US imported approximately 562 million pounds of honey last year, with Canada supplying about 11.8 million pounds — or roughly 2% of the total..‘A TAX ON OURSELVES’: Economists warn against Ottawa’s counter-tariffs.American honey producers have said they did not ask the Trump administration to impose the tariff on Canada.“We were not pushing for this,” Chris Hiatt, former president of the American Honey Producers Association, told Castanet.Hiatt, who manages approximately 20,000 hives in North Dakota and California, described Canadian imports as “like a hiccup” compared with the total volume entering the country.American producers are reportedly more concerned about the amount of low-cost and potentially adulterated honey imported from other countries than they are about Canadian competition.Scarlett said it is currently too early to predict precisely how far Canadian honey prices could fall.“It could very well be that honey prices for commercial operations on the Prairies stabilize, while the price of honey everywhere else in Canada experiences minimal declines,” he said.“Conversely, if things don’t improve, an overall price reduction could occur, jeopardizing the financial well-being of commercial operations, especially if specifically designed support programs are not instituted.”Scarlett could not estimate how many beekeeping businesses might become financially unviable under a prolonged tariff, but said independent commercial producers would have difficulty surviving if new markets are not developed.He also warned the impact would extend beyond honey production.“With fewer bees, pollination of the various fruits and vegetables across the country will be jeopardized,” Scarlett said, adding that pollination is estimated to contribute between $7 billion and $8 billion to the Canadian economy.

Canadian Honey Council warns US tariffs could jeopardize domestic beekeepers, crop pollination

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