Staying up to date on the import and export landscape

Canada’s import and export landscape is governed by both federal legislation and international agreements.

Federal legislation sets out the Government of Canada’s authority to regulate, control and enforce trade activities across borders.

International agreements set out the relationships between Canada and its trading partners, including the rules and obligations Canada agrees to follow.

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It is important to keep on top of updates to both areas for those who are involved in importing and/or exporting.

Key updates to the current landscape include:

2026 CUSMA review

The United States is Canada’s largest trading partner, with U.S.-Canada agriculture and agri-food trade totalling approximately US$72.6 billion in 2023.

Most agricultural trade is regulated by the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which allows the following products to move across the border without tariffs or quotas:

grain
fresh fruit and vegetables
beef and pork (subject to sanitary standards)
processed food and beverages

Canada is preparing for a joint review of CUSMA with the U.S. and Mexico that will take place on July 1, 2026.

The agreement is currently set to expire by 2036 unless each country approves its renewal. In the review, each country may submit recommendations for revisions to the agreement.

The U.S. has previously pushed for increased access to Canada’s dairy market under CUSMA. So far, none of the parties have announced any planned revisions, but it is possible that the agreement could be renegotiated because of recent changes to the trade relationship between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Recent tariffs

In early 2025, the U.S. imposed the following tariffs:

25 per cent on Canadian exports and 10 per cent on energy and potash exports from Canada that are not CUSMA compliant (March 4, 2025)
25 per cent on Canadian steel and aluminum products (March 12, 2025)
25 per cent on Canadian automobiles and certain parts (April 3, 2025)

Canada retaliated by imposing the following tariffs:

25 per cent on $30 billion of U.S. exports, including agri-food products (March 4, 2025)
25 per cent on a further $29.8 billion of U.S. exports, including steel, aluminum and cast-iron products (March 13, 2025)
25 per cent on non-CUSMA compliant vehicle exports from the U.S. (April 3, 2025)

As well, certain relief and exemption programs are being implemented by both countries.

In addition to the U.S. tariffs, China recently imposed 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian canola oil, canola meal and peas, as well as 25 per cent tariffs on certain pork, fish and seafood products. The tariffs were imposed in response to Canada’s levies on Chinese-made electric vehicles and aluminum and steel products.

Canada continues to monitor changes to international trade and has offered support for industries affected by the tariffs, including tax relief for businesses and support programs for agriculture and agri-food industries.

If CUSMA is renegotiated, these industries could face further trade disruptions.

Future updates: where to look

The import-export landscape is currently in a state of flux and further changes are expected to occur. Canadian farmers and agri-food stakeholders can stay informed through the following resources:

The federal finance department maintains a website to keep Canadians up-to-date on the latest measures in force at https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/programs/international-trade-finance-policy/canadas-response-us-tariffs.html.
The Canada Gazette is the official newspaper of the Government of Canada and contains public notices and information about new statutes and regulations. Editions can be found at https://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/publications-eng.html.
The Trade Commissioner Service helps Canadian businesses navigate exporting and offers guides to CUSMA and other trade agreements at https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/index.aspx?lang=eng.
The Trade Commissioner Service has collaborated with several organizations to create the Canada Tariff Finder, which allows Canadians to check import or export tariffs for specific goods and markets. It can be accessed at https://www.tariffinder.ca/en/getStarted.
Global Affairs Canada provides information on Canadian sanctions, including current sanctions and legislation, at https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/international_relations-relations_internationales/sanctions/index.aspx?lang=eng.
Agriculture Canada provides information specific to Canada’s agricultural sectors, including support programs and services, at https://agriculture.canada.ca/en.