Trump hits dairy, honey with 50 per cent tariffs

United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to place a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian dairy products and honey plus a list of other products including wigs, cement and hockey sticks.

He complained about administration of tariff-rate quotas on U.S. dairy products.

He said Canada treats the European Union better than the U.S. on those tariff-rate quotas. 

They are related to separate trade agreements Canada has negotiated.

Trump used Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which allows a president to impose duties up to 50 per cent on a foreign country that discriminates against U.S. commerce.

Food prices still rising

For the 17^th straight month, grocery store prices increased by more than the general inflation rate.

The increase in June was 3.9 per cent.

Statistics Canada recorded a 2.8 per cent year over year increase in overall prices in June. In May it was 3.2 per cent.

Prices for food purchased from stores grew at a slower pace in June than in May when the increase was 4.3  per cent.

Ontario opens award nominations

 

 The Ontario government is opening nominations for the 2026 Excellence inA griculture Awards.

There are 10 categories.

• Research and Innovation Excellence

• Agribusiness Excellence

• Education Excellence

• Promotional Excellence

• Urban Agriculture Excellence

• Northern Business Excellence

• Indigenous, Métis or Inuit-Owned Business or Indigenous, Métis or Inuit Community Group

Excellence

• Women’s Farming Excellence

• Youth Excellence

• Farm Family Excellence

Nominations are being accepted until September 4.

The website is ontario.ca/excellenceinagriculture.

Anderson to head AgriCorp

 

Robert Anderson of Strathroy has been appointed to a two-year term as chairman of AgriCorp.

He is is the vice-president of operations at Nortera Foods. 

AgriCorp is an Ontario government agency created in 1997 to delivercrop insurance and other agricultural business risk management programs.

Agriculture ministers plan to double AgriStability

Canada’s agriculture ministers plan to double the AgriStability payment cap to $6 million and add paid labour by farm family members as an eligible expense.

They said after a meeting In Halifax that they intend to make the changes before the end of next year.

The priorities during the meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture were business risk management, trade diversification and research and innovation.

“These priorities will guide the development of the Next Policy Framework over the coming year,” said federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald.

“The goal is to build a framework that provides the flexibility to respond to regional priorities and evolving needs of the agriculture sector while supporting long-term success and sustainability,” he said.

Democrats propose meat-packer breakups

Democratic politicians in the United States have drafted legislation to force the breakup of dominant meat-packing companies.

Democrats lack enough votes on their own to pass the bills in the House of Representatives and Senate or to over-ride a president’s veto.

They cite Cargill, JBS, Tyson and National Beef collectively owning 85 per cent of the U.S. beef market resulting in higher retail prices.

 

The Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act imposes structural reforms to restore competition to the industry proposals

1.   Makes it unlawful for a major meatpacking conglomerate to control more than one major type of meat (e., pork, chicken, beef)

2.   Imposes hard caps on the concentration of beef markets at both the regional and national levels and authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to order divestiture from the market if those caps are exceeded;

3.   Prohibits foreign leverage over the domestic meat market, empowering FTC to protect competition and national security;

4.   Directs the FTC to enforce against discriminatory pricing practices in retail and wholesale meat markets that hit independent and neighborhood grocers the hardest;

5.   Authorizes the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide financial assistance, loan guarantees, and technical assistance to farmers’ cooperatives and small business concerns to acquire meatpacking facilities divested under the Act; and

6.   Creates enforceable penalties for corporations that fail to properly divest, enforceable under the FTC Act.

Massive recall of Quebec meats

 

There is a recall of 66 meat products under labels Charcuterie Charlevoisienne and Joe Smoked Meat.

The producer is based in Quebec.

The Canadian Food Inspection agency detected Listeria monocytogenes food-poisoning bacteria in the products which were sold through retailers and online.

The CFIA said no illnesses have been linked to the products.