Southern Albertans still wrapping heads around latest tariff threat

The United States is again threatening Canada with tariffs. It's unclear what impact this latest trade-war turn might have on southern Alberta.

United States President Donald Trump has threatened to slap Canada with a 35 per cent tariff starting Aug. 1.

That moves back a deadline of July 21 that was set during the G7 Leaders’ Summit to hammer out a new trade deal.

Southern Albertans are still wrapping their heads around what this might mean for the region.

“About 90 per cent of Lethbridge is manufacturing products that are exported to the United States, so obviously, any tariff is a huge concern,” said Trevor Lewington, Economic Development Lethbridge CEO.

It’s the latest wrinkle in a tumultuous trade war between the two countries.

The tariffs would only impact goods that aren’t compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.

Some see the new tariffs as nothing more than a negotiation tactic.

“I hope that this is just a negotiating tactic, very similar to Trump’s sort of historical style, and, you know, hopefully the Canadian government will be able to move through this and come to an agreement with them,” said Lewington.

The agriculture industry isn’t sounding the alarm just yet.

Many producers have grown accustomed to the back-and-forth tariffs and won’t be concerned until any additional tariffs are actually put in place.

“Well, it raises that kind of threat of instability within our industry again—something similar to what happened last November … although I think people aren’t panicking quite as bad as they did at that point in time,” said Lynn Jacobson, Alberta Federation of Agriculture president.

Premier Danielle Smith has spoken out against the latest tariff announcement.

In a statement posted online, the premier said, “The threatened increase to U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods would be a tax on the American people. They would also hurt Canadian and American businesses and workers, and damage one of the most important trading and security alliances on earth.”

Energy and potash tariffs are expected to stay at 10 per cent.