With tariffs coming from the United States just hours away, many in Saskatchewan are fearful for the rising costs of goods and job losses.
With tariffs coming from the United States just hours away, many in Saskatchewan are fearful for the rising costs of goods and job losses.
But can the province combat this?
U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on all goods coming from Canada to the U.S. will be catastrophic, according to economics professor Jason Childs.
“(The impacts) will be substantial,” the University of Regina professor said. “I mean, about 50 per cent of our exports from Saskatchewan go to the U.S.”
Childs believes we’ll soon witness a substantial fall in demand for Canadian products.
“That’s going to curtail production in Saskatchewan, which means less employment and less income,” Childs said.
“(Looking) broader, it’s going to hit a whole range of industries. Everything from potash through to agriculture products and manufactured products.”
However, Childs argues Canada as a whole is much more vulnerable than Saskatchewan once the tariffs are introduced. About 70 per cent of Canada’s exports head to the U.S., compared to Saskatchewan’s 50 per cent.
Regardless of where you live, Childs said consumers across North America are going to see an impact on prices at stores.
Co-op CEO Heather Ryan said with so much uncertainty, rising costs is one thing she can be sure of.
“However this all shakes out, we’re planning accordingly,” Ryan said. “But a lot of these costs will be passed on to members across North America regardless of how this plays out.”
While the tariffs are difficult, Ryan emphasized it’s not possible for Co-op to cease trading with the U.S. altogether.
“There are some products you can’t procure, which we do procure from the United States,” Ryan explained. “We’ve looked at other options but we (have to make sure) we understand those.”
Childs said while Canada will always rely on its U.S. trading partners, seeking new opportunities could be the best next step.
“If you’re running a business selling products into the U.S., you need to be looking at diversifying as much as you possibly can. But that’s going to be limited by infrastructure. Most of the trade infrastructure in Canada flows north south, not east west.”
Childs said a big hurdle Canada is facing is interprovincial trade barriers, which could be another solution to the Trump tariffs.
He suggests this could be reduced in a number of ways like extending rail lines or creating pipelines spanning east to west — something Premier Scott Moe has recently brought to light.
“All pipeline permits going east, west, or south received in Saskatchewan will be considered pre-approved,” Moe said in a social media post last week.
“We encourage all provinces and the federal government to do the same.”
3:53
Trump confirms 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico to start Tuesday
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.