Canada and the United States share one of the most integrated trading relationships in the world, especially when it comes to agriculture. On February 25, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, travelled to Washington, D.C. where he met with U.S. officials and key stakeholders to underline the importance of maintaining it. 

Minister MacAulay met with Ted McKinney, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), Wes Ward, president of NASDA and Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture, and Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture on the margins of the 2025 NASDA Winter Policy Conference. During these meetings, they discussed shared priorities, work to reduce trade barriers, the value of our agricultural trading relationship, and its benefits for both Canadian and American farmers and consumers. With $101 billion (CAD) in agri-food and seafood bilateral trade in 2024, it’s a vital partnership to farmers, businesses, and food security.

While at the NASDA Winter Policy Conference, Minister MacAulay highlighted that $200 million worth of agricultural products cross the U.S.-Canada border daily, underscoring the scale of the trade. The Minister also emphasized the potential negative impacts that tariffs could have on this mutually beneficial trade, which is vital to both countries' economies.

To conclude his visit, the Minister met with Senator John Boozman, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson, chair of the House Committee on Agriculture and Representative Angie Craig, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, and representatives from the Meat Institute. 

Quick facts

• -  During his visit, Minister MacAulay also met with representatives from the Canadian Cattle Association, the Canadian Pork Council, the Canadian Meat Council, the Canola Council of Canada, the Canadian Canola Growers Association, Crop Life Canada, SaskOilseeds, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers and Cereals Canada.
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• -  Canadian companies employ almost 900,000 workers in the United States and nearly 8 million U.S. jobs are tied to trade with Canada.
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• -  Canada and the United States are important trade partners for agri-food and seafood, with bilateral trade in these areas reaching $101 billion (CAD) in 2024.

Source:  Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada February 27, 2025 news release