Tariff Feedback: Chuck Grassley and Canadian leaders respond to the possibility of tariffs

25 percent tariffs are just days away for Canada and Mexico, which are both major trade partners of the United States.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says while there could be retaliatory tariffs, this is what the people decided.

“The country has turned protectionist and mercantilist, and I don’t think that’s good. But we did have an election decided that the country likes what Trump’s trying to do.”

Canadian leaders have also been vocal about the tariff threats, saying the energy markets could be in for a shock if they go through.

“Our entire trade surplus is due to oil and gas. We export at enormous discounts to market price. Depending on the time, we sell a barrel of oil to the Americans for 10 to 30 or 40 percent cheaper than the world price. If President Trump wants to make America richer, the last thing he should want to do is block the under-priced Canadian energy from going into his marketplace,” said Pierre Poilievre, the current Canadian Conservative Party Leader.

Poilievre is widely believed to be Canada’s next Prime Minister. President Trump has given a Saturday start date for the 25 percent tariffs if Canada and Mexico do not cooperate with his immigration plan.

Related Stories
Higher tariffs may shield some U.S. crops but risk retaliation, lost markets, and higher costs for growers. The WTO disputes highlight the fragile balance between trade policy, farm exports, and input supply chains.
USMEF CEO Dan Halstrom joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report for his analysis on the U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement, which includes big bucks for U.S. Beef.
Record U.S. sorghum crop faces weak demand as China slashes imports, while corn farmers warn of rising costs, shrinking margins, and global market pressures.
With the latest detection just across the border, animal health officials on both sides are intensifying efforts to contain the outbreak before it spreads further north.
Producers and processors should watch trade policy closely as tariff impacts ripple through seafood markets.
While symbolic, the WTO’s youth hackathon reflects growing calls for creative approaches to food trade and security, with potential implications for reducing losses, expanding biofuel markets, and stabilizing grain flows.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

CattleCon 2026 kicks off February 3 in Nashville. Kristin Torres with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association joined RFD-TV to share more about what’s ahead at this year’s event.
Farmland values remain stable, but weakened credit conditions and lower expected farm income signal tighter financial margins heading into 2026.
The White House is now preparing to restore an Endangered Species Act (ESA) rule from the first Trump Administration.