Supply Chain & Transport

With the ever-looming threat of tariffs, ANAC has been proactive in engaging with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the CFIA to minimize the effect to the feed industry of any potential tariffs that Canada may apply to imported US goods. To assist us in our discussions, it is essential that we have a clear picture of which ingredients/products are regularly sourced from the US. 

Both the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC) and the Canadian National Railway (CN) had unresolved collective agreements with unions since the expiration of their previous agreements on December 31, 2024. With negotiations running up against job action deadlines, collaborative efforts between the rail companies and unions successfully addressed key issues to avoid rail stoppages.

The Government of Canada has released the full list of products from the U.S. to Canada which will have 25% tariffs imposed as of February 4, 2025. Based on the original high-level list of products, ANAC did not believe the feed industry would be affected; however, the complete list demonstrates otherwise.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced their plans for implementing tariffs yesterday. Based on the information currently available, it seems as if feed moving from the U.S. to Canada will be exempt from tariffs, but feed moving from Canada to the U.S. will have tariffs applied.

Unifor Local 101R, representing over 1,200 mechanical workers at Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC), has authorized strike action with a 99% majority vote. This empowers the union to initiate a strike if a new collective agreement is not reached before January 29, 2025, at 12:01 am (EST).

On November 12, Minister of Labour Steven MacKinnon announced that he has directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), under Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, to order the Parties at Vancour and Montreal ports to resume operations.

On November 7, the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) submitted a final offer to the Longshoremen’s Union, CUPE Local 375. The MEA asked the union for a reply to the offer by 8 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is committed to helping agri-businesses strengthen their defenses against cyber threats. AAFC is conducting a survey until November 30 to gather insights from agricultural business owners about their experiences with cyber security and technology use.

Work stoppages resulting from labour disputes continue at the Port of Montreal and British Columbia ports. These disruptions to the supply chain has resulted in the national railways ceasing to provide certain services.