Tariffs are top of mind for some Sask. farmers

(Stacey Hein/CTV News)

Hundreds walked through the doors of Prairieland Park for the first day of the Western Canadian Crop Production Show.

One hot topic at the event was the threat of tariffs.

United States president-elect Donald Trump has said he plans to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods imported to the U.S., if Canada doesn’t improve border security.

Some farmers CTV News spoke with aren’t sure if Trump will follow through.

“I’m not totally convinced that president-elect Trump is not just shooting his mouth off again. If it does come to fruition, then yes, it’s going to have a big effect on Saskatchewan,” Jim Smith said in an interview with CTV News on Tuesday.

“If they do come in, it’s going to be a big economic hit to Saskatchewan because we are a big exporter,” Hank Ethier told CTV News.

One seeding equipment manufacturer agrees the tariffs are concerning.

“All of our products are made with North American steel, so if the tariffs significantly impact the price of steel, it’s bad for our business,” said Terry Dorratt, vice president of sales with Atom-Jet Industries.

All premiers are set to meet with the Prime Minister in Ottawa on Wednesday to plan for the potential tariffs.

“The tariff discussion, for whatever reason, is here and we are going to do our level best to manage our way through that,” Premier Scott Moe said at a press conference.

NDP leader Carla Beck said addressing the tariffs will need a collaborative approach.

“It’s time for all hands on deck, put aside any differences and really have an effective approach that’s going to benefit these producers here in Saskatchewan,” Beck told reporters.

Trump is set to take office on Jan. 20.