Rides, games, food, music, and …Canada’s agriculture minister? 

Federal Ag Minister Heath MacDonald has just wrapped up, what Ottawa calls, a successful visit to the Iowa State Fair.  

The trip came just days ahead of the set implementation date for additional 50 per cent tariffs on nearly 30 billion dollars of Canadian goods, threatened by President Donald trump back in July.  

Canada’s negotiation team has been working overtime in an effort to delay or cancel these new tariffs entirely.  MacDonald, alongside Mark Wiseman, Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, attending the fair and met with government officials and agriculture leaders during his time down south. 

A release from the Government of Canada says, “Throughout the event, Minister MacDonald highlighted the importance of the Canada-U.S. trading relationship and reinforced Canada as a reliable trading partner.”

The 50 per cent tariffs on goods such as wine, beer, spirits, dairy, cement, hockey sticks, furniture, electronics, apparel, and certain machinery is slated to come into effect on Wednesday.