Ag Equipment Manufacturers Feeling Impact Of U.S. Tariffs

Jun 08, 2018

The U.S. implemented hefty tariffs late last week on steel and aluminum that could see Canadians paying more for cars, farm equipment and more.

The tariffs amount to a 25% tariff on steel and 10% on aluminum.

Jamie Pegg, General Manager of Honey Bee Manufacturing (Frontier, Sask) explained the impact they are seeing as an agriculture manufacturer.

"Today with the way it looks, it's a significant cost increase for the product we need to produce every day," he said. "Already there have been price increases just on the threat of tariffs. With the fact the tariffs have come into play, we've seen significant increases on some of the steel that we purchase."

He notes another additional impact is also the cost of transportation with extra tax and tariffs. It has a negative effect on their bottom line and in turn the cost they have to charge producers.

Pegg is hoping it’s just a short-term annoyance.

"I think the most important thing is for our officials to sit down and get the NAFTA agreement carved out," he said. "To get it completed so that everybody knows the playing field that they're walking on. There's a great opportunity for our country and for other countries involved to be able to create a deal that continues on North America as the manufacturer that it can be and that it should be."

Source : Steinbachonline

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.