By Canadian Press

Quebec maple syrup producers fear ‘major consequences’ if Trump tariffs go ahead

Jan 23, 2025 | 11:23 AM

MONTREAL — Quebec’s maple syrup producers are worried their industry will take a big hit if U.S. President Donald Trump goes ahead with his threat to slap 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports next month.

Joël Vaudeville, spokesman for Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, says his group’s 13,500 members expect sales will drop if the tariffs drive up the price of their products in the United States.

Vaudeville questions whether Americans, who in 2023 bought $368 million worth of Quebec syrup, will be willing to pay more, adding that a loss in sales could spell “major consequences” for Quebec’s industry.

He says exports to the United States last year accounted for 55 per cent of Quebec’s total production.

Quebec produces nearly three-quarters of the world’s maple syrup production, he says, and regions to the east of Montreal stand to be hardest hit if tariffs are imposed.

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Vaudeville said in an interview today it’s too early to say how the industry will respond, but producers could turn to other markets such as Europe and Asia or ask the provincial government to buy up maple syrup to hold in reserve until the “Trump storm passes.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2025.

Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press