The Executive Director of Food First NL says groceries will be one of the first places consumers will see tariffs’ impact.

Josh Smee says the Canadian and U.S. economies and supply chains are so intrinsically intertwined that it’s nearly impossible for food prices not to be affected.

He says more than half of the food imported into Canada comes from the U.S., ranging from fresh produce to more processed foods.

The problem, says Smee, is that “our economies are so hyper-integrated that there are American products throughout the food system.”

He says Canada and the U.S. have been working for decades to build an integrated economy. American products “also show up further down the chain” says Smee.

“People who are manufacturing food products in Canada, maybe some of their inputs are coming from the States, maybe some of their equipment” is from the U.S. “You can’t easily disentangle the two countries from a food perspective.”