$800 line that could cost Canada's food industry $1 billion

On Friday, the United States will close the door on a long-standing trade convenience: The de minimis exemption. For decades, this rule allowed small shipments valued at $800 US or less to cross the border duty-free, bypassing the cumbersome customs procedures that normally apply to imports.

For Canadian food producers — especially the small and mid-size ones — the implications are significant. While the headlines have focused on tariffs on steel, cars or lumber, this quieter policy change risks undermining a vibrant ecosystem of specialty and artisanal foods that have found eager consumers south of the border.

The exemption was never about giant grain shipments or truckloads of beef. Those flows already move through established commercial channels, covered by Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreemen