Commentary
When Prime Minister Mark Carney quietly lifted most food-related countervailing tariffs (import taxes designed to counter foreign subsidies) on May 7, few Canadians noticed.
There was no press release, no public statement—just a discreet policy shift mid-campaign.
Yet several symbolic tariffs remain, notably on orange juice, coffee, alcohol, and tea. These were imposed during past trade disputes—notably in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum—but today serve no clear purpose.
The rationale? Canadians can supposedly find substitutes.
But that logic doesn’t hold up. These tariffs aren’t hurting the United States—they’re punishing countries like Kenya, India, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, which grow tea and depend on its export for economic development and regional stability….