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North American produce leaders call for tariff truce

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) and the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), alongside more than a dozen other industry representatives, have jointly urged the leaders of the United States, Mexico, and Canada to swiftly resolve the ongoing tariff dispute currently disrupting North American supply chains.

According to a recent press release, the group sent a letter addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Prime Minister Mark Carney underscoring the ‘deeply integrated’ nature of the North American produce supply chain.

“The fresh produce supply chain is one of the most deeply integrated in the world, with cross-border trade between our nations ensuring year-round access to healthy fruits and vegetables,” said IFPA CEO Cathy Burns in the release.

“Tariffs on these vital goods disrupt that balance—driving up grocery costs, reducing availability, and placing significant strain on the businesses that grow, ship, and deliver our food.”

In 2024 alone, the release notes, Canada imported nearly $5.5 billion in fresh produce from the U.S. and $3 billion from Mexico. Meanwhile, the U.S. imported more than 24 billion pounds of produce from Mexico — valued at $19.6 billion — and exported more than $1.7 billion into Mexico.

Last week, the U.S. hit Canada with a 35 per cent tariff on goods not compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico agreement on trade, known as CUSMA, while Mexico was granted a 90-day reprieve on the tax.

CUSMA is scheduled for a mandatory review next year.

“Canada’s industry is inextricably linked with our trading partners; any disruption directly impacts our growers, supply chains, and ultimately, consumer access and affordability,” said Ron Lemaire, CPMA president.

“We stand with our domestic and global colleagues in demanding that leaders prioritize swift and collaborative resolution to safeguard the continental supply of fresh produce.”

The CPMA, which represents members responsible for 90 per cent of fresh fruit and vegetable sales in Canada, along with the IFPA, are calling for leaders to pursue a “collaborative, long-term trade agreement that brings stability and predictability to the marketplace,” the release states.

In the meantime, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne and and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand met with Sheinbaum in Mexico this week to discuss security and trade and Carney is expected to meet with the Mexican president soon, according to a report from the Canadian Press.

– with a file from the Canadian Press