The Department of Agriculture compiled a list of American states reliant on Canadian farm and seafood products where electors voted for President Donald Trump.
Many were “swing states,” said a briefing note obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter.
“Canada is the top agricultural export market for 27 US states including all border states except Washington as well as high population states such as California and New York,” said the November 18 note on Canada-US agriculture relations.
“Examples of states on this list that supported Trump in the 2024 election include Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Ohio, Kentucky and many of the ‘swing states’ including Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.”
Canadian farm and seafood exports to America are worth $59.5 billion annually.
“The United States is Canada’s largest agricultural and seafood export market,” said the note.
“How is the Government of Canada preparing for potential tariff increases on agricultural exports to our largest trading partner?”
“We are deeply integrated economies with tens of thousands of jobs on both sides of the border that depend on the fair and balanced Canada-US trade relationship.”
Producers yesterday predicted significant losses in a continental trade war. It was “devastating,” the Canola Council said in a statement. Canola exports last year totaled $7.7 billion.
“Canola is the single largest contributor to farm crop cash receipts grown by nearly 40,000 farmers across the country,” said the council.
“The damaging blow caused by tariffs will be felt by every canola farmer.”
The British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association yesterday predicted up to 1,195 layoffs as a result of 25% US tariffs.
The measures will cut sales by as much as 40% and cost more than $131 million in lost revenue, it said: “Tariffs will place another substantial and unnecessary burden on Canada’s already threatened salmon farming sector.”
Canadian retaliatory tariffs imposed yesterday on $30 billion worth of US imports focused heavily on farm products. The 25% penalty list includes apricots, barley, beans, blackberries, butter, cheese, cherries, cucumbers, durum wheat, grapefruit, honey, lemons, melons, mustard, nectarines, nuts, nutmeg, oats, oranges, orange juice, peaches, peppers, plums, poultry, powdered milk, raspberries, rice, rye, sunflower seeds, tea, tomatoes and yoghurt.
