U.S. tariffs on Canadian cheese reshaping Montreal shop shelves as Quebec makers lose U.S. market
A 50% tariff starting this week and a whey-protein ban push Montreal cheese shops to stock more Quebec-made products while smaller cheesemakers face survival pressure.
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Starting Tuesday, Canadian cheeses face a 50 per cent U.S. tariff, and two weeks later, Canadian dairy products including whey protein will be banned from U.S. entry altogether. For Quebec cheesemakers, losing access to the American market presents a serious business problem. For Montreal cheese shops, it's opening a door.
At Fromagerie Hamel, a family-owned shop at Marché Atwater operating for over 50 years, co-owners Marc Picard, Ian Picard, and Murielle Chaput are responding by shifting inventory. "Since the tariff war happened, a lot of people have been wanting to support local cheese. There's also been a lot less of a demand for the American cheeses," said Nyome Giroux, cheesemonger and manager at Fromagerie Hamel.
Some American cheeses have already been pulled from shelves. Giroux sees opportunity in stocking Quebec products, framed as both patriotic and practical. "As a means of promoting local and also diminishing the cost of cheeses because if we do begin selling American cheeses at a 200 per cent possible tariff, we do not want to be offering those cheeses for $200 to $300 a kilo," Giroux said.
For producers, the picture is more complicated. Dairy farmers are protected by supply management, but cheesemakers and cheese processors selling to the American market face harder price competition. Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, director of Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, said the tariffs hit smaller makers hardest. "It's more concerning for smaller cheesemakers. They can't survive by only selling to the Quebec market. They need to export outside Quebec and into the U.S."
Charles Langlois, CEO of Quebec's dairy industry at Conseil des Industriels laitiers du Québec inc., acknowledged the scale of the problem: "The major cheese manufacturers and importers are here in Quebec, so yes, it's going to have an impact." He added he was surprised the U.S. plans to ban Canadian whey protein products given current shortages. About 97 or 98 dairy companies in Quebec buy milk and produce dairy products throughout the province.
Langlois does not expect all price increases to reach consumers. "I don't think all of the price increases will be passed on to consumers, because market pressure is still there," he said.
The facts
When does the 50% U.S. tariff on Canadian cheese take effect?
The tariff starts on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
What U.S. import ban follows the cheese tariff?
Two weeks after the tariff begins, Canadian dairy products including whey protein will be banned from U.S. entry.
How is Fromagerie Hamel responding to the tariffs?
Fromagerie Hamel, a family-owned shop at Marché Atwater, is shifting inventory to stock more Quebec-made cheeses while pulling some American cheeses from shelves.
Which cheesemakers face the greatest survival pressure from these tariffs?
Smaller cheesemakers face the hardest impact because they cannot survive by selling only to the Quebec market and rely on U.S. exports to remain viable.
Ongoing coverage · U.S. Tariffs Impact Quebec Economy
