United States President Donald Trump ranted against Canadian protection for its supply-managed dairy industry during a Fox News interview, saying more about that than the new federal tax on tech companies that Prime Minister Mark Carney promptly cancelled to keep trade negotiations active.
A report on edairynews said ”in a fiery interview on Fox News, President Trump accused Canada of imposing punitive dairy tariffs—up to “almost 400 percent”—and described the nation as “very nasty to deal with,” reigniting familiar trade tensions. He contends these barriers harm U.S. dairy farmers, sidelining trade talks until they’re dropped.
Trump framed the situation as a stark violation of the USMCA (United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement), claiming that Canada’s high tariffs—245.5 percent on cheese, 298.5 percent on butter—are contrary to the spirit of the agreement. He stressed that although quotas grant some tariff-free access, Canada’s actions exceed agreed thresholds.
However, the deal now in place is the one he negotiated during his first term as president.
U.S. dairy groups note most exports currently fall well within tariff-free quotas, with U.S. sales 73 percent below maximum limits.
Reacting swiftly, Trump halted all trade negotiations until Canada removes what he deems unjust taxes. He tied this stand to a broader context including Canada’s new three percent digital services tax on U.S. tech firms—a move he labeled an “attack.”
In fact it is Trump who has attacked Canada with tariffs on products such as steel and aluminum.
Carney has said nothing about changing Canada’s dairy tariffs.
