Quebec maple syrup producers face uncertainty amid new U.S. tariffs

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 30, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

Maple sap has been flowing from trees astatine Hallacres workplace since the 1860s successful Lac Brome, Que., and David Hall is simply a 5th procreation maple syrup shaper there.

"We lone nutrient 20, 25 days a year," helium said arsenic helium showed CBC News astir the spot and explained however his livelihood is mostly babelike connected the weather.

But now, with the anticipation of a 25 per cent tariff connected Canadian imports looming, springtime temperatures mightiness soon beryllium the slightest of his worries.

Last year, Quebec exported astir $368 cardinal worthy of maple syrup to the U.S. That's 62 per cent of the province's maple syrup exports.

"Are radical going to halt buying syrup successful the U.S.? Probably not. Will they bargain less? Probably, if there's a 25 per cent tariff," said Hall. "We're going to person meetings with the buyers and spot what we tin do."

U.S. President Donald Trump paused his program to widen tariffs connected Canadian imports until April 2, but it's not wide however acold these caller levies volition reach. Earlier this month, the Associated Press quoted an anonymous White House authoritative who said roughly 62 per cent of imports from Canada would apt inactive look steep tariffs.

More recently, a White House authoritative told CBC News that contempt Trump's repeated threats astir sector-specific tariffs, they whitethorn not really hap adjacent month. Trump said precocious Wednesday that helium would enforce a 25 per cent tariff connected Canadian conveyance imports.

WATCH | Maple syrup manufacture braces for tariffs: 

What precisely volition hap remains unknown, leaving those successful the maple syrup manufacture waiting with bated enactment connected some sides of the border.

The authorities of Vermont is the apical shaper of maple syrup successful the U.S. It's a marketplace that is highly interconnected with Quebec's arsenic American farmers beryllium connected supplies and instrumentality made successful Canada.

Jim Dudd operates retired of Morgan, Vt. Judd's Wayeeses Farms Maple Products has been successful cognition for astir fractional a period successful the state's Northeast Kingdom. He's been tapping trees since 1978.

"It's important due to the fact that they manufacture conscionable astir everything that we use," helium said, citing his reliance connected Canadian-made supplies.

Vermont's Maple Sugar Makers' Association worries each of the ambivalence surrounding tariffs could pb to terms increases and shortages connected American shelves, stalling maturation successful the industry. 

The relation has been successful cognition since 1893, making it 1 of the oldest cultivation organizations successful the United States. Like Dudd, it's besides based successful the Northeast Kingdom, astir 65 kilometres southbound of Stanstead, Que.

"Vermont and the U.S. don't marque capable maple syrup to fulfil the needs of our home market," said enforcement manager Allison Hope.

Just this month, arsenic the sugaring play gets underway, her enactment has been touting the maple syrup industry's continued maturation successful the authorities connected its Facebook page.

"It's important to the worth of the U.S. manufacture that we person an capable and appropriately priced proviso of Canadian syrup," said Hope.

Dudd said he's disquieted that the 2 countries volition suffer that consciousness of being affable neighbours.The tariff conflict whitethorn interaction that longtime friendship, helium said.

He besides said maple syrup could suffer support abstraction successful the stores due to the fact that the terms abruptly shoots up 25 per cent.

"That's what happened successful 2008 erstwhile we missed syrup and the terms went a batch higher. All of a abrupt it's a interruption connected the consumption," helium said.

Hall is referring to a clip erstwhile planetary request for the sticky-sweet syrup outstripped supply, successful portion due to the fact that lingering wintertime acold and dense snowfall slowed sap travel successful Quebec, Maine and parts of Vermont. 

That, combined with the exhaustion of Canadian reserves, helped thrust up prices, experts said astatine the time.

Now, Hall said it's a precise stressful clip with each of the uncertainty, but he's going to effort and absorption connected what helium tin power — producing arsenic overmuch maple syrup arsenic possible.