Canada’s greenhouse sector depends on exports. Will it survive U.S. tariffs?

Canada’s fruit and vegetable sector is deeply intertwined with the U.S. market, but the greenhouse industry is particularly vulnerable.

U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods pose a big risk for the greenhouse sector, which relies heavily on exports south of the border and would suffer if importers buy less because of the trade war.

“These tariffs have some significant consequences,” said Richard Lee, executive director of Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers. Ontario grows the majority of greenhouse vegetables in Canada.

The three days tariffs were in place earlier this month cost the Ontario greenhouse sector more than $6 million, Lee said.

On March 4, U.S. President Donald Trump enacted tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports. Just two days later, he announced a one-month pause on goods that meet the rules-of-origin requirements under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.

Canada’s fruit and vegetable sector is deeply intertwined with the U.S. market, according to Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada — but the greenhouse industry is particularly vulnerable due to its reliance on exports to the U.S.

The U.S. is by far the main export market for Canadian greenhouse vegetables, making up 99.5 per cent of the $1.7 billion exported in 2023, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

The U.S. and Canadian agricultural markets complement each other, Lee said, especially on a seasonal basis — for example, in the winter, Canada imports a lot of lettuce.

“It’s a very symbiotic relationship,” he said.