How SaskToday.ca Is Leading the Prairies' Coverage of Canada-U.S. Trade Dispute

Setting the New Standard for Canada-United States Trade Coverage

The Canada-United States trade dispute has been building since February 2025, when the U.S. first imposed tariffs on Canadian goods citing border security concerns, followed within weeks by steel and aluminum tariffs and, later, tariffs on Canadian automobiles, well beyond anything anticipated under the two countries' free trade agreement. It has only escalated since: stalled and restarted trade talks, new rounds of American import bans, and dollar-for-dollar tariffs on both sides.

It's easy to treat all of that as a national story, something playing out in Ottawa, Washington, and occasionally at the World Trade Organization. But its impact goes further than the headlines. It's being felt right here, across Western Canada and the Prairies, in local businesses, in industries adjusting their plans, in household budgets.

That's exactly where SaskToday.ca's coverage comes in, keeping tabs on tariffs and trade, from breaking developments to in-depth podcast reporting, so Prairie residents don't have to piece the story together themselves.

What's at Stake: The Canadian Economy, Canadian Workers, and Canadian Businesses

University of Saskatchewan economist Keith Willoughby, dean of the Edwards School of Business, has pointed out on SaskToday.ca's trade dispute podcast that Saskatchewan is actually somewhat better insulated than other provinces, since roughly 55 percent of the province's exports go to the United States, compared to closer to three-quarters for Canada as a whole. Still, as Willoughby has noted, when 55 percent of a province's trade is affected, "that's billions and billions and billions of dollars."

That's shaped SaskToday.ca's core positioning on its ongoing coverage of domestic trade and international markets colliding, of Canadian companies weighing whether to lean harder into domestic production or chase new markets abroad, and of the everyday economic uncertainty that comes with not knowing what the rules will look like in six months.

Steel and Aluminum Tariffs, Canadian Imports, and the Impact on Consumers

Some of the most significant, and most sought-after, coverage on SaskToday.ca's hub for tariffs and trade coverage tracks specific Canadian goods getting caught in the dispute, and what that means for the consumers, farmers, and manufacturers on the other end of them.

Canola has had a strong September: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada raised its predicted average price by $55 a tonne, the biggest jump of any crop in the report. But canola oil, meal, and Canadian beef, nearly $10 billion in annual U.S. exports, have so far avoided Trump's tariffs even as Canada's retaliatory tariffs took effect September 8. Experts warn that could change, with one former industry leader saying a tariff on canola oil or meal would be "devastating" for Western Canada's crushing industry.

Steel tells a starker story. As reported on SaskToday.ca's podcast, Saskatoon's Supreme Steel historically shipped roughly 25 percent of its revenue to U.S. clients; this year, that number is "zero," according to president and CEO David Fritz, who says Canadian companies are now sourcing materials from Europe and Asia instead, stretching project timelines by three to four months.

Alcohol shows how the impact spreads sideways. Steep, 50 percent tariffs on Canadian alcohol, effective August 22, threaten the crops behind it: wheat, rye, barley, and corn. The U.S. accounts for 93 percent of Canada's spirits exports, and Kate Sauser of Grain Growers of Canada worries smaller crops like rye could shrink further as farmers factor tariffs into next year's planting decisions. "It's a scary time," she said.

Canola, steel, and alcohol are just three examples of a pattern that runs across SaskToday.ca's coverage: whatever the good, someone in Saskatchewan is absorbing the impact of a dispute they didn't start.

Beyond Goods: Tariffs Are Reshaping Local Industry, Too

Not every consequence of the trade war shows up as a tariff on a specific product. In Saskatoon, environmental consulting firm Seed2Leaf has felt the pressure indirectly: founder Daryl Wright told SaskToday the company's planned equipment upgrades have already gotten more expensive, with suppliers spanning the U.S., Italy, Australia, and Canada. "We are feeling the tariffs," he said, adding the ripple effects could still reach the potash and utility clients his firm depends on. Similar risk has shown up in municipal projects, too, like Weyburn's $30-million Leisure Centre, where trade volatility was flagged as a key project risk affecting material costs and timelines.

Not every business has only felt the downside. Regina's Rebellion Brewing rebuilt its supply chain almost entirely within Canada in response to looming tariffs, a shift owner Mark Heise called "a plus to see Canadians being innovative."

Trade Negotiations, National and Local

Much of SaskToday's coverage tracks negotiations at the national level, and just as much tracks how unpredictable those negotiations have become. Prime Minister Mark Carney has used the moment to pitch Canada as a safe harbour for global capital, courting billions in new investment while criticizing what he's called Washington's increasingly zero-sum approach to trade. In September, President Trump announced on social media that the U.S. would buy potash from Belarus instead of Canada, only to reverse himself days later at the United Nations. Business commentator Paul Martin, speaking on SaskToday's podcast, doubted Belarus ever had the capacity to replace Canadian potash at that scale, and suggested American farmers were being used as "a pawn in this game," a reminder of how quickly positions shift, sometimes announced on social media before any formal negotiation takes place.

That instability plays out locally, too. When Premier Scott Moe pushed back publicly against the Belarus plan, calling it support for "Russian aggression," Opposition Leader Carla Beck welcomed the tougher tone, saying "firmness" and "resolve" were what the province had needed all along, while still pushing for stronger action, including pulling U.S. alcohol from shelves. That pressure sits alongside a broader "Buy Canadian" push Moe himself has encouraged, even as he's acknowledged the toll uncertainty alone can take on investment in the province, regardless of whether any given tariff is ultimately enacted.

Built to Stay Ahead: Trade War Coverage in a Range of Formats

Telling a story this large has meant not relying on a single format. SaskToday.ca's coverage spans:

• Breaking news coverage, published as developments happen, the fastest-moving part of the coverage.
• A dedicated podcast, Trade Dispute: Impact on the Prairies, hosted by Steven Wilson and airing on GX94 and 620 CKRM, bringing together economists, political scientists, and industry leaders.
• Direct interviews with experts and officials, like a conversation with Trade and Export Minister Warren Kaeding on interprovincial trade barriers.
• Opinion pieces, such as one asking whether tariffs might finally shift how Canadians think about consumerism.
• Forward-looking coverage, giving Prairie residents and businesses a heads-up on what's coming before the impact fully lands.
• Recurring political coverage, following Premier Scott Moe's response as the dispute has evolved.

Tracking Canada Tariffs as the Trade War Evolves

The trade war keeps evolving, and so does its impact on the Prairies. Tariffs get added, adjusted, or lifted. Retaliatory measures shift in response. Trade talks stall or restart. What began as reporting on developing threats is now a daily beat, roughly 10 articles a week as of September 2026, gathered in one place at SaskToday.ca's Tariffs and Trade hub.

Stay Informed on the Trade War's Impact on the Prairies

Understanding the trade war means understanding its impact both nationally and locally, not just what's happening in Ottawa or Washington, but how it could affect your business, your budget, or your community next. The dispute isn't resolved, and there's no sign it will be soon.

That's exactly why SaskToday.ca keeps this coverage going, rather than treating it as a story with a fixed ending. As part of the Canadian press, doing right by readers means showing up for a story like this one consistently, not just when it makes headlines, so Prairie residents always have somewhere to turn for the latest.

Follow SaskToday.ca's ongoing coverage of the trade dispute's impact on the Prairies.