Canadian, U.S. farmers expect big fertilizer bills amid Trump trade war – National [Video]

With only weeks until spring planting on both sides of the border gets underway, Canadian and U.S. farmers, already facing low grain prices, are bracing for another economic blow: even bigger fertilizer bills amid a North American trade war.

Some farming supply costs already turned sharply higher due to trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada. After threatening tariffs for months, U.S. President Donald Trump enacted 25 per cent duties on most Canadian products on Tuesday before announcing a one-month reprieve on some goods, including fertilizers, on Thursday.Canada said on Thursday it will delay a planned second wave of retaliatory tariffs until April 2.

Many U.S. farmers need to add potassium to their soils, so they use potash fertilizer – much of which comes from the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Canadian farmers in turn often need to add phosphorus to their soils, so they buy phosphate – much of which comes from Florida.

Saskatchewan farmer Scott Hepworth, who …