The Legal Beacon
Illuminating the path through economic and trade changes
Navigate the evolving economic and trade environment with confidence, exploring options for relief, opportunities to consider and ways to mitigate negative impacts.
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The trigger:
Changes in the U.S. federal government are altering long-standing international trade relationships and foreign policies. New trade actions, such as tariffs, are impacting Canadian businesses and industries. In this volatile and uncertain time, Canadian business and national leaders must determine their response.
The catalyst:
Canadians are prioritizing national interests, encouraging investment and seeking alternatives to current supply chains and markets. The MLT Aikins Legal Beacon offers clarity and understanding of the options as you set a new direction for your business.
The Legal Beacon is a collective resource for clients to identify what they need to consider to mitigate business impacts, to be aware of programs for relief and to assess opportunities these changes present.
Featured resources
Webinar: Navigating the Current Tariff Landscape
Sign up to watch this free, 90-min webinar with MLT Aikins and Alan Dewar, Executive Vice President of GHY International. Understand the latest developments, what they mean for your business and how to mitigate potential risks in the face of current trade and tariff uncertainty.
Trade & tariff implications: How they affect western Canadian business and what can be done about it
Our lawyers, as part of your business’s leadership team, can help you plan and implement the changes necessary to address the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Webinar: Contract & Procurement Considerations in the Age of Tariffs
In this free, 90-minute webinar, we examine the contractual provisions that impact the responsibility for tariffs and provide some recommendations for incorporating tariff-related protection in your contract and procurement documents. Watch on-demand now.
Featured insights
Relevant insights by category
Vendors are adjusting prices based on tariffs or adding tariff charges to Invoices. Buyers are unsure on how to deal with these issues.
- Charting the path with federal tariff support programs
- Trade & tariff implications: How they affect western Canadian business and what can be done about it
- Celebrating 117 years of neighbourly respect and honourable obligations
- Tariff update: Canada holds its breath, for now
- Strategies for construction projects impacted by Canada-U.S. tariffs
- Webinar: Contract and Procurement Considerations in the Age of Tariffs
Exporters face uncertainty in bidding for contracts and providing goods and services cross-border. Tariffs can impact the inputs for production and the sale/export to an out of country Buyer.
- Charting the path with federal tariff support programs
- Trade & tariff implications: How they affect western Canadian business and what can be done about it
- Celebrating 117 years of neighbourly respect and honourable obligations
- Tariff update: Canada holds its breath, for now
- Webinar: Contract and Procurement Considerations in the Age of Tariffs
Trade tensions are creating uncertainty for businesses engaged in cross-border transactions and as trade tensions escalate, their impact on deal-making is already being felt.
Recent changes to immigration policies, the impacts of border security and labour mobility between Canada and the U.S. are all creating uncertainty.
- Travel guidance on electronic device searches: Privacy considerations for Canadians travelling to the United States
- U.S. to implement Immediately Alien Registration Requirements on Canadian travellers
- Flagpoling update: Clarifying the changes and exemptions for temporary residents
- The Trump administration, trade wars and potential CUSMA impacts
- Will the United States run out of skilled technology workers?
- Immigration pilots to bring newcomers to smaller Canadian communities
- How might Trump’s Executive Orders impact Canadians doing business in the U.S.?
- Changes to open work permits effective January 21, 2025
The trade and economic landscape creates pressure on existing workforces – with issues such as managing political speech, interim measures of financial impacts, rising cost of living and technology-driven advancements.
- Charting the path with federal tariff support programs
- Employer obligations on election day – Time off to vote
- Time to review your employment agreements: Key considerations for employers in the wake of new tariffs
- BC Labour Relations Board upholds limits on secondary picketing: A win for employers
- Considering downsizing? Here is what Saskatchewan employers need to know
- Politics at work: Managing political speech in the workplace
Disruption of global trading relationships is expected to place additional stress on the Canadian economy, with the potential to result in additional restructuring and insolvency filings by Canadian business enterprises.
The current trade and tariff landscape may lead to unforeseen contractual implications, specialty trade issues and business disputes arising from economic pressures.
The threat of tariffs creates uncertainty for contracts. It affects how businesses manage existing contracts, which clauses to look for and how to allocate risk in new contracts.
- Trade & tariff implications: How they affect western Canadian business and what can be done about it
- Tariff update: Canada holds its breath, for now
- Government of Saskatchewan announces record $4.6-billion capital infrastructure spending in the 2025-2026 budget
- Strategies for construction projects impacted by Canada-U.S. tariffs
- Webinar: Contract and Procurement Considerations in the Age of Tariffs
Impacts to the agribusiness and food sector are far reaching. This includes the supply chain dependency across borders from inputs to finished products, further reduction on tight margins, availability of labour and market access.
- Charting the path with federal tariff support programs
- Navigating uncertain weather: Canada’s canola industry amid tariffs from China & the U.S.
- Can a contract be cancelled because of government tariffs?
- Trade & tariff implications: How they affect western Canadian business and what can be done about it
- Restrictions on foreign ownership & acquisitions of farm land in Saskatchewan
- Manitoba’s foreign ownership restrictions and acquisitions of agricultural land
- Alberta’s foreign ownership restrictions and acquisitions of land in Alberta
Access support:
- FCC Support Loans: Farm Credit Canada is providing $1 billion in new lending to help alleviate financial challenges for the agribusiness and food sector
- AAFC Advance Payments Program: The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food announced that the Advance Payments Program interest-free limit will be set at $250,000 for the 2025 program year. This is the portion of advances on which the Government of Canada pays the interest on behalf of producers.
- AAFC AgriStability: Protects Canadian producers against large declines in farming income for reasons such as production loss, increased costs and market conditions
The current environment is renewing interest in large projects to spur investment and improve infrastructure. The resulting actions of the sector may re-engage previous climate policy debates and direction.
Economic uncertainty and trade tensions are having a ripple effect in IT projects and contracting, resulting in price uncertainty, implementation delays and changes in contract terms. In addition, current sentiments around supporting the Canadian economy are raising important questions around the development and ownership of intellectual property as well as cross-border privacy concerns.
- IT contracts and tariffs: Five things to consider
- Software and IT solutions: What Canadian companies need to know about tariffs
- Retail Sales Tax on cloud computing services
- Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAII) – New federal government program provides funding for Prairie AI projects
Access support:
- PrairiesCan – Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative: Support for development and use of AI in two key areas: (1) AI production and commercialization and (2) adoption of AI. $250,000 to $5 million of interest free repayable funding for up to 50% of eligible project costs (90% for not-for-profits).
Access support
Canada-wide
- EDC Trade Impact Program: A $5-billion fund over two years to help Canadian exporters reach new markets and manage economic risks like currency fluctuations, non-payment losses and cash flow challenges
- BDC Low-interest Loans: $500 million in low-interest loans for businesses affected by tariffs, including those in supply chains. Advisory services on financial management and market diversification will also be available
- Trade Commissioner Service: Various programs for funding, trade missions, market research and resources on trade agreements, tariffs and sanctions
- Canada Tariff Finder: Quickly get tariff information for specific products and countries where Canada has a Free Trade Agreement
- Canada-U.S. Trade Tracker: Easy-to-use, always-on tools for real-time data on Canadian business trends and conditions
- MNP Tariff Exposure Risk Assessment: This nine-question assessment identifies your business risk level and provides insights for what you can to do remain resilient
- EI Work-Sharing Program: The Work-Sharing Program may introduce temporary special measures at any time to provide additional support for affected businesses during a period of economic downturn, natural disaster or if a national emergency is declared. The special measures provide targeted support for businesses impacted to recover and avoid layoffs for a specific period of time.
- Connect2Canada: News and fact sheets detailing the State-by-State economic impact of Canada as a trading partner.
Agribusiness & food
- FCC Support Loans: Farm Credit Canada is providing $1 billion in new lending to help alleviate financial challenges for the agribusiness and food sector
- AAFC Advance Payments Program: The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food announced that the Advance Payments Program interest-free limit will be set at $250,000 for the 2025 program year. This is the portion of advances on which the Government of Canada pays the interest on behalf of producers.
- AAFC AgriStability: Protects Canadian producers against large declines in farming income for reasons such as production loss, increased costs and market conditions
Prairie provinces
- PrairiesCan – Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative: Support for development and use of AI in two key areas: (1) AI production and commercialization and (2) adoption of AI. $250,000 to $5 million of interest free repayable funding for up to 50% of eligible project costs (90% for not-for-profits).
Manitoba
- MB Government Incoming Buyer Program: Provides reimbursement to local companies that invite qualified international buyers to the province with the goal of procuring Manitoba products.
- Support Manitoba. Buy Local: Directory of Manitoban and Canadian products and services, highlighting groceries and food retailers and well as non-food retailers.
- World Trade Centre Winnipeg: Fosters Manitoba Trade and supports small businesses through import-export business training, specialized services, events and more.
We’re here to help. To discuss how these issues may impact your business, please reach out to one of the key contacts listed below or connect with your primary MLT Aikins contact.
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