'Devastated' and 'incredibly disappointed': Alberta beef and canola to be hard hit by Trump tariffs

Alberta food producers are bracing for uncertainty in the short term and the potential for a complete reorientation of how they do business in the long term now that U.S. President Donald Trump's 25-per-cent tariffs have taken effect.

The United States is by far the largest market for Alberta's agri-food exports, which totalled an estimated $9.3 billion last year.

China was a distant second at $2.4 billion, followed by Japan at $1.4 billion, according to data from the provincial government.

The beef and canola industries, in particular, are expected to be especially hard hit given how big they are in the province and how heavily they rely on American purchasers for their exports.

Each industry is now preparing for any number of potential scenarios that could play out in the coming days, weeks and months.

Dennis Laycraft, executive vice president of the Canadian Cattle Association, said the industry is "incredibly disappointed" by the tariffs coming from the U.S., which had long been considered a "nearest ally and a neighbour."

He said Canadian beef farmers and feedlot operators have had "incredible relationships" with their American customers and counterparts dating back to the origins of the industry in this country.

The vast majority of Canada's beef and cattle exports go to the United States and Laycraft said the industry is hoping for a quick resolution to the trade war while also preparing for a future where they aren't so reliant on the U.S.

He said the industry is also cognizant that the Trump administration's actions don't reflect what all Americans want.

"We have lots of great friends, still, in the United States," Laycraft said.

"This is dealing with an administration that's driving this particular agenda, going from our most trusted neighbour and customer to, now, a real question mark."

Alberta Beef Producers, by coincidence, began its annual general meeting on the day Trump's tariffs kicked in.

The organization, which represents about 18,000 producers in the province, declined to do interviews Tuesday but issued a brief written statement. 

"We are assessing the details of the tariffs outlined today and are conscious that there is still a lot of uncertainty in how these tariffs will impact all Canadians, including cattle producers," chair Brodie Haugan said in the statement.