Here's how Canada's only rice mill hopes to avoid disruptive counter tariffs

Jennifer La Grassa · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 09, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Caught successful the crossfire of a commercialized warfare betwixt Canada and the United States are section businesses that are trying to fig retired however to dodge soaring costs. 

Dainty Foods is 1 of them. The company, which runs Canada's lone atom mill successful Windsor, Ont., is presently filing for an exemption to debar antagonistic tariffs implemented by the Canadian government. 

Dainty Foods CEO, James Maitland, says since aboriginal March they've had to wage a 25 per cent tariff connected their atom imports from the United States. These imports autumn nether $30 cardinal dollars worthy of goods that the Canadian authorities decided to tariff successful effect to commercialized enactment from the U.S. 

According to Maitland, the institution imports 80 per cent of its atom from the United States. 

Without an exemption, Maitland says the concern volition person to restructure its "entire proviso chain."

"We truly are hoping for that exception, due to the fact that we'll really person to exit immoderate lines of concern [if we don't]. We don't privation to bash that. We're successful maturation mode today," helium said.  

That maturation includes a $40 cardinal dollar installation planned for the United States. But Maitland says that investment, which would make 250 American jobs, is connected intermission arsenic they navigate tariffs. 

At slightest 1 different business, Cavalier Tool and Manufacturing Ltd., told CBC News it besides mightiness use for an exemption connected reciprocal tariffs Canada has placed connected aluminum and steel.

Government has alleviation programs successful place

In an emailed statement, a Department of Finance Canada authoritative said it has received remission requests and is processing them. Remission requests supply an exemption. 

It wouldn't accidental however galore it's gotten truthful far, but said these decisions are approved by the section of finance. 

It besides said that determination are 2 programs that tin assistance supply relief: the Duties Relief Program and the Duty Drawback Program.

Finance Canada didn't accidental however agelong businesses tin expect to hold for their exemption petition to beryllium approved. The authorities has posted a database of accusation that companies should supply successful their requests.

Dainty Rice told CBC News that portion they're hoping to perceive astir the exemption successful the adjacent fewer weeks, they've heard it could instrumentality up to 8 weeks. 

"We're conscionable providing the accusation we tin and our lawsuit arsenic rapidly arsenic we tin and arsenic intelligibly arsenic we can, truthful it's a hold and spot exemplary close now," helium said. 

When asked astir the exemption process, Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore Liberal enactment campaigner and incumbent Irek Kusmierczyk said the authorities wants to perceive from businesses to cognize however this is impacting them. 

He says the authorities is moving to "protect Canadians arsenic overmuch arsenic possible," with the antagonistic tariffs, but that they besides "absolutely privation the American medication and the U.S. to consciousness the pain." 

"They person to consciousness the symptom for them to backmost disconnected this perfectly insane way that they are on," helium said. 

Trade warfare has led to 'a batch of stress' connected business

And portion Dainty's Maitland says Canada's exemption process has been beauteous straightforward, helium says wide the ongoing commercialized enactment has been stressful. 

"A batch of stress, precocious cortisol, small spot of value summation [and] a batch of deficiency of sleep," helium said, adding that the institution is trying to debar layoffs and passing connected the outgo to consumers arsenic overmuch arsenic they can. 

While he'd similar for things to spell backmost to the mode they were, Maitland says helium doesn't deliberation that volition hap immoderate clip soon. 

"I deliberation we request to truly recognize that this is astir apt gonna instrumentality six months to a twelvemonth to enactment done and we request to beryllium prepared to bash our champion to sorb immoderate impacts those are," helium said.