Canada is a major supplier of fertilizer that could get pulled into Trump’s trade war. Farms can go without fertilizer for a while, but not long. File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo
U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada is getting personal for American farmers.
After trade talks between the two longtime allies fell apart in mid-August 2026, Trump imposed 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian imports worth roughly $20 billion (CAD$27 billion). Canada responded on Aug. 25, 2026, by announcing its own plan to put retaliatory tariffs of 15% to 50% on the same value of U.S. goods, effective Sept. 8.
Canada's list includes dairy products and agricultural equipment, and there is an unspoken threat that it could expand to a crucial component in fertilizer that U.S. farmers rely on.
I have studied agriculture and water quality for more than a decade, including whether trade rules change how farmers manage their land.
