Canadian Farmers Urge Ottawa to Address Tariffs on Russian Fertilizer

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Farmers in eastern Canada are bearing the brunt of tariffs imposed by Russia in March. They are asking the federal government to act so they don’t have to pay the price.

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Russia is a major producer of fertilizers, especially nitrogen fertilizers, and nitrogen is one of the essential elements for crops, along with phosphorus and potassium. According to Statistics Canada, Canada is her second country to import fertilizer after the United States.

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On March 2, the Canadian Border Services Agency initiated an order imposing a 35% tariff on all goods originating in Russia or Belarus. The measure is part of the sanctions Canada imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

As a result, many farmers ordered their fertilizer long before this date, resulting in large bills.

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Several organizations representing more than 50,000 farmers are calling on the government to ensure that tariffs on fertilizers are paid directly to farmers.

They said the government had collected $34 million in tariff revenues on fertilizers imported into Canada this year.

Among these organizations, the Producteurs de Grains du Québec represent around 9,500 farmers who produce corn, soybeans, wheat, oats and canola, among others.

Representatives of the Atlantic Grains Council, Quebec Grain Growers, Ontario Grain Growers, Ontario Bean Growers Association, Ontario Canola Growers and the Ontario Christian Farmers Federation have initiated talks with Ottawa.