A Message from CEO Robert Hunter

There is no doubt that tariffs – or the continued threat of tariffs – will create challenges for many industries across Canada, and ours is no exemption. At Protein Industries Canada we have been having conversations with our members about the impact of the tariffs. For many of our companies, the USA is their primary export market, and many also rely on the USA for ingredients and other materials, such as packaging. Even if the tariffs never come to be, this turbulence has already created disruption and created uncertainty for many members.

Protein Industries Canada is currently working on a response plan to help Canada’s ingredient manufacturers and food processors. This includes supporting companies in using more Canadian inputs and accelerating the creation of products for the domestic market. We will also be working to make certain that the impacts that tariffs will have on our members are represented to decision makers. Now more than ever, we need a strong Canadian ingredient manufacturing and food processing sector, and we need to work together to ensure that Canadian crops are being processed in Canada to create high-quality ingredients and food.

The tariffs also reconfirm the importance of securing new markets for our Canadian products. Markets like the Indo-Pacific, led by countries such as Singapore and Japan, are eager to work more closely with Canada in procuring high-quality ingredients. I have recently returned from Singapore and believe there is a strong opportunity for our members to enter that market. We are currently exploring further opportunities with Singapore to determine how we can best support our members to enter this important market. You can read more about my learnings below.