With the announcement this month of increased US tariffs on Canadian goods, the National Newspaper Association has advised that newsprint will not be affected.

The tarff on imports from Canada is being increased from 25 to 35 per cent, but the administration has confirmed that the exemption for USMCA-compliant products will remain in force after the increase takes effect.

“This means that at this time, newsprint from Canadian mills will not be subject to tariffs when the new rate takes effect," NNA executive director Lynne Lance said.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) came into force on July 1, 2020, substituting the North America Free Trade Agreement.

Lance says the action is in the context of negotiations between the US and Canada and the relationship “remains strained” due to the aggressive posture taken by the administration. “So far, the response from Canada has been measured,” she says, adding that the situation “remains volatile”.

Pictured: Newsprint production in Alberta, Canada (photo Cat, which supplied ten G16CM34 generator sets to the site)