Article content

Honey is one of hundreds of Canadian products that have been hit with a 50 per cent tariff to enter the United States, grinding exports to a halt. More honey staying north of the border could mean lower prices for consumers in the short term.

Sign In or Create an Account

or View more offersArticle content

But over time, the loss of Canada’s largest export market for honey could take a toll on producers — and, due to honey bees’ contribution to the pollination sector, the overall food system.

Article contentArticle content

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

“When there’s abundance, prices may plummet, but it doesn’t mean that that will be healthy for the industry in the long term,” says Armağan Özbilge, an assistant professor in Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Management. “So we may enjoy a year of cheap honey, but we’re talking about a bigger industry issue.”

Article contentArticle content

According to the Alberta Beekeepers Commission, 80.2 per cent of the exported quantity of Canadian honey and 69.1 per cent of the value went to the United States between January and April 2026 alone.

Article content

The United States’ 50 per cent levy “has the potential to dramatically impact producers of honey,” says Mike von Massow, a professor at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College. “You can’t lay bees off. You’re still producing. You have to maintain the bees. You have to keep them healthy.”

Article content

Beekeepers operate in all provinces, but the prairies house most of Canada’s honey bee colonies (63 per cent). Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta were responsible for 80 per cent of total national honey production in 2025, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. While Alberta produces the most honey (40.7 per cent by volume), Manitoba is the biggest exporter (54.5 per cent by volume).

Article content

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

For some honey producers, such as Podolski Honey Farms in Ethelbert, Man., the U.S. tariffs reportedly severed 90 per cent of customers. “But that’s not the whole picture,” says Paul Gregory, a commercial beekeeper and vice chair of the Manitoba Beekeepers’ Association. “We have some tools available to us. It’s serious. We are kind of hunkering down.”

Article contentRead More

  1. And the trade war winner is: Canadian whisky
  2. Does a clear freezie taste as sweet? The foods going colourless because ‘it’s better for you’
  3. Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

For the last couple of years, producers had “fairly poor” honey prices, but they were on a trajectory to go higher. “That’s probably not going to happen now because there’s a short crop,” says Gregory. He’s heard from beekeepers across the prairies that honey yield is down, which he credits partially to climate change. “If we had a really big honey crop this year, then we could see real price deterioration. But with the short crop, I think there’ll be similar prices to last year (this fall).”

Article content

Rod Scarlett, executive director of the Canadian Honey Council, says that a significant amount of honey was shipped to the U.S. prior to the implementation of the tariffs. If that hadn’t been the case, the economic impact would likely be more keenly felt by exporters, but there’s honey stuck in limbo nonetheless.