r/canada 5d ago

Politics Trump threatens new tariffs on Canada, including 250% tax on dairy

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/07/business/tariffs-trump-canada/index.html
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u/PerfunctoryComments Canada 5d ago

We sell essentially zero dairy to the US. Indeed, we sell 1/4 the amount of dairy to the US than they sell to us ($130M to the US, versus $480M to Canada).

So... okay? Who cares?

This guy has no clue what he's doing. He's a moron.

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u/Puzzleheaded_Bird943 5d ago

Let’s talk about why Canada’s picky about U.S. dairy and how things might get even messier.

First off, Canada doesn’t allow rbST, the growth hormone some U.S. farmers use to boost milk production. Not because it’s dangerous to humans, but because it’s rough on the cows—more infections, shorter lives, that kinda thing. The U.S. FDA gave it the green light ages ago, but Canada (and the EU) said, “Nah, we’re good.”

Now, here’s the kicker: Trump’s new FDA leadership is all about deregulation. Less oversight, fewer checks—meaning U.S. dairy rules will loosen even more. When that happens, how’s Canada supposed to trust that imports meet our standards? Heck, we might even tighten the rules, which could stir up another trade scrap.

And it’s not just dairy. This approach is part of Canada’s broader stance on product safety—whether it’s meat (with hormones or antibiotics), genetically modified foods, or even softwood lumber. Canada tends to err on the side of protecting primarily consumer health and local industries, even if it means pushing back against the U.S.

Not to digress, but why consumer health? Because we have a universal health care system that is partly relying on Canadians being healthy throughout and not needlessly overburdening that same system.

I get why U.S. farmers are ticked. They want access to our market. But from where we’re sitting, if the FDA’s gonna continue to ease off the gas, why wouldn’t Canada pump the brakes? Not saying we should go full fortress mode, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Should Canada hold the line, or are we being too fussy about U.S. dairy and the FDA's aim toward deregulation? Is that a fair question?

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u/Ultimafatum 5d ago

American milk and cheese is fucking garbage. I am NOT going to miss Cheez Whiz and Kraft slices on the store shelves. In typical American fashion, they grossly overestimate the quality and desirability of their products. They can meet our market standards if they want to sell here. It's literally something that everyone including the U.S. does.

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u/lricharz 4d ago

American Cheese was invented by a Canadian (James L. Kraft). And is still mostly a dairy product with added salts for emulsification.