US, Canadian Pet Care Communities Respond to Tariffs Imposed on Canada

Leaders in the pet care community from the United States and Canada have been speaking out in response to the Trump administration’s threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada.

“We all support efforts to strengthen and grow our countries’ respective economies, but imposing steep, broad tariffs on one of our best and closest trade partners will hurt the pet care community and millions of pet owners,” said Mike Bober, president and CEO of the Pet Advocacy Network, based in Alexandria, Virginia.

“The U.S. pet industry contributed over $150 billion to the U.S. economy in 2024. Imposing tariffs on Canada will negatively impact manufacturers’ competitiveness and ultimately impede the growth of the pet care community,” observed Peter Scott, president and CEO of the American Pet Products Association, based in Stamford, Connecticut.

Celeste Powers, president of the Pet Industry Distributors Association, based in Southeastern, Penn. added, “On behalf of 87 million American families with pets, we encourage President Trump to protect this vibrant sector of the economy.”

“The Canadian pet care community is committed to working with President Trump and his administration to strengthen trade relationships, but caution against prohibitively steep tariffs that penalize the small business owners, employees, and pets of our industry,” said Christine Carrière, president and CEO of Pets Canada, based in Ottawa. “We encourage all parties to work together to find innovative solutions to ensure that politics don’t penalize our pets.”

“Instead of trade barriers, the U.S. and Canada must work together to reinforce our shared supply chain,” said Chris Nash, executive director of the Pet Food Association of Canada, based in Ontario. “Together, we can grow and protect North American competitiveness. At a time when affordability is a key concern for households in both countries, any disruption to trade will drive up costs for consumers, and impact the health and well-being of our pets.”

“Strong trade relationships with our neighboring countries are vital to pet owners and the businesses that serve them,” explained Vic Mason, president of the World Pet Association, based in Riverside, California. “We encourage all parties to collaborate on fair, balanced solutions that support economic growth, ensure access to quality pet products, and benefit families, workers and small businesses alike.”

“U.S. pet food manufacturers stimulate the country’s overall agricultural and rural economies through the purchase of ingredients, labor, and services from related industries,” said Dana Brooks, president and CEO of the Pet Food Institute, based in Washington, D.C. “Like many other U.S. commodities and products, Canada, Mexico and China are our largest export markets. We are concerned that retaliatory tariffs could have severe supply chain impacts that affect the availability of our products. To be clear, we are in favor of policies that support domestic manufacture and the global distribution of safe, quality pet food, that provide for consumer choice and help dogs and cats live long, healthy lives.”