U.S. tariff threat pause brings little relief for uncertain Sask. businesses

Alex Kozroski · CBC News

· Posted: Aug 19, 2026 4:35 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 19

Sweeping tariff threats from the United States have been put on hold once again, and Saskatchewan businesses are taking a short breath.

Nearly $30 billion in Canadian goods were about to be hit by a 50 per cent tariff, but the U.S. government extended the deadline and offered hope of a final deal on the way.

Premier Scott Moe held a news conference in Prince Albert, after the prime minister conferred with the cabinet and premiers.

"I've always been supportive of finding our way to that trade agreement with the United States of America," said Moe. "That's always been the goal of Saskatchewan, and everything we've done over the course of the past year has been about taking steps toward that goal."

When asked if he supported Canada continuing with retaliatory tariffs, Premier Moe said they have delayed an agreement being reached.

"If we're able to come to an agreement, which is what this looks like today … I would say that is not a part of the conversation as we move forward."

WATCH | This Sask. company in danger of getting tariffed twice on the same trampoline:

He said bringing in Canada's energy exports can be useful during negotiations.

"That has always been a negotiating tool, a negotiating tactic, that he had as Canadians, and I think the recognition of the [Keystone XL Pipeline] as being part of that conversation speaks to that."

The uncertainty that continues to surround the situation has big effects on businesses that ship south, said Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce CEO Jason Aebig.

"I suppose we have three more days of hopeful thinking, good intentions, negotiations that are going to continue," he said.  

"When the plans that you've got written up for your business, whether it's a hiring or expansion or investment, get torn up because the rules have changed, that's an enormous drain on frankly, energy, time and money. We've largely felt the impact of this shifting tariff policy in the U.S. indirectly, but it does have an economic impact."

WATCH | Saskatoon Chamber CEO talks tariff pause impacts:

The previous tariff threat would have added another duty on top of existing U.S. tariffs to $28 billion worth of Canadian products, including electronics, dairy, alcohol and lumber.

"I'd say close to half our team was dragged into just the tariff issue yesterday," said Luke Shaheen, a managing partner with Crazy Ape Extreme Equipment, a Regina business that custom-builds trampolines.

"We were scrambling to get any order we could across the border. So we actually ended up sending one of our staff at about 6 p.m. last night in our van, fully loaded right to the roof, down to Minot [North Dakota] to ship things."

Keith Willoughby, dean of the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan, said the delay is not a new move.

"They're kicking the can down the road," Willoughby said.

"So even though there's a bit of relief that we can have further conversations about a mutually suitable solution, I'm worried that all we're really doing is creating further anxiety and further uncertainty within our supply chains."

Very little is clear about the state of the negotiations or the potential deal on the table, but U.S. President Donald Trump alluded to a possible revival of the Keystone XL pipeline, a long-defunct project that could carry oil from Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

"I don't put much faith in anything the current U.S. president is doing," said Andrew Hamilton of Hamilton Apiaries, which ships half of its beekeeping products to the U.S.

"We've got to weather the storm, and some years it's bad weather, some years it's politics. Every year is a little different, but farmers and beekeepers are pretty resilient. It's, you've just got to take the hits as they come."