Alberta industries, beef producers bracing for impact of potential U.S. tariffs

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce said it strongly opposes retaliatory measures from the federal government in response to potential tariffs from the United States.

Just days away from the inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump, industries across Alberta are preparing for the looming threat of tariffs to become a reality.

The threat of sweeping tariffs on all Canadian goods exported to the U.S. has created uncertainty in Alberta’s agriculture industry, as beef production requires multiple trips back and forth across the 49th parallel.

“It’s a whole lot of ‘what if,'” Alberta Cattle Feeders Association president Janice Tranberg told Global News.

According to Ryan Kasko, who runs Kasko Cattle Company outside of Lethbridge, it’s a difficult to plan ahead.

A 25 per cent tariff, the worst case scenario he said, would result in $1,000 in lost value per head of cattle.

“Frankly, most farms would go bankrupt real quick,” Kasko told Global News.

Beef led Alberta’s agricultural exports to the U.S. in 2023 at $3.1 billion, followed by crude canola oil at $1.2 billion, live cattle (excluding purebred) at $980.2 million, processed potatoes at $716.5 million, and oilseed cake and meal $666.1 million, according to figures from the Government of Alberta.

Given the amount Alberta exports to the U.S., Kasko said the impacts of trade restrictions would also be felt by Americans in the grocery store.