OHIO — Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods took effect, raising concerns for Ohio industries that rely on trade with the country, including dairy, manufacturing and automobiles.
Canada announced the tariffs in response to U.S. tariffs, saying it would push back “dollar for dollar.” According to statistics published by the Canadian government, Canada imports more than $17 billion in products from Ohio each year.
The largest categories include equipment, minerals and transportation. Canada is also Ohio’s largest export market.
Ian Sheldon, a professor of agriculture at Ohio State University, said the latest round of tariffs could create problems for Ohio’s dairy industry.
“This is going to affect them potentially in terms of the kind of prices they might get for the dairy products, but also the ability of them to sell dairy or milk to dairy processors and get it into Canada,” Sheldon said.
Shawna Morris, executive vice president for trade policy and global affairs at the National Milk Federation, said the tariffs could still be resolved. The United States and Canada were reportedly in discussions before the retaliatory tariffs were announced, and Morris said talks could eventually resume.
“It doesn’t sound like they’re miles apart in terms of government positioning here,” Morris said. “It certainly sounds like, at least for this subset of issues, they should be able to be a way forward.”
Several dairy farmers were contacted for comment, but many did not respond or said U.S.-Canada trade is a complex topic.
Other Ohio industries, including manufacturing and automobiles, could also be affected by the tariffs.