Since November, President Donald Trump has threatened to impose broad 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods. He’s repeatedly claimed the country has no need for Canada’s exports — cars, lumber, oil and food products in particular — because America makes “the same products on the other side of the border.”

Experts predict the ripple effects of a trade war could be crushing for both economies. Canadian and American farmers, who have long relied on a steady exchange of crops, equipment, fertilizer and other agricultural goods, are bracing for impact.

Canada is an important trading partner, both as a customer and as a supplier of crucial inputs like potassium fertilizer.