From global trade policy developments to funding the next generation of homegrown foodtech, this week’s round-up looks at what’s cooking in Canadian food innovation.
Here’s some of today’s highlights:
🪙 What temporary U.S. and Chinese tariff cuts could mean for Canada’s food sector
💡CFIN awards $50K to 5 student-led ventures across the country
🏆 3 foodtech startups earn national recognition for planet-friendly breakthroughs
🛠️New food innovation job openings at Daiya, Mara Renewables, and more
Canada–U.S. Trade Brief: China Tariff Rollback Could (Temporarily) Ease Input Pressures for Canadian Food Companies
Breaking down what’s changing in cross-border trade—and what it means for Canada’s food sector.
The U.S. and China announced a 90-day tariff rollback, temporarily reducing steep reciprocal duties. American tariffs on Chinese imports drop from 145% to 30%, while China reduces tariffs on U.S. exports from 125% down to 10%. The temporary truce runs until mid-August, offering short-term relief—but uncertainty remains high.
For Canadian food manufacturers and processors, the lowered U.S. tariffs may translate into slightly lower costs for Chinese-sourced inputs like specialized packaging materials, food-processing equipment components, flavourings, nutritional additives, and smaller-scale machinery. However, tariffs remain historically high at 30%, and this window is limited.
Short-term cost relief on imported inputs: Canadian food companies sourcing U.S.-distributed inputs originally from China might see slight reductions in procurement costs, benefiting production budgets in the near-term. Brands should use this 90-day window to reassess input suppliers and secure stable pricing where possible.
Knock-on effects from U.S.–UK ethanol deal: This week, we also saw the removal of Britain’s 19% tariff on U.S. ethanol as part of a new trade pact, opening the door for up to 1.4 billion litres of duty-free American ethanol to enter the UK. While the agreement doesn’t directly involve Canada, it could tighten North American ethanol supplies and nudge prices upward. Canadian manufacturers that use ethanol in processing, sanitation, or lab applications should monitor the market and consider securing supply contracts or exploring alternative sources.
💡 Food Innovation News
CFIN has awarded nearly $50,000 to five student-led food innovation ventures as part of its NextGen Food Innovators pilot fund. Winning projects include a seaweed-based shelf-life coating, AI-powered French fry quality control, and bio-based pathogen detection.
This year’s Canadian Business Innovation Awards highlighted several food-sector standouts tackling climate challenges. New School Foods was honoured for its hyper-realistic plant-based salmon, now served in top restaurants and backed by $18M in funding. Harvest Systems earned recognition for tech that captures kitchen heat waste—now being deployed by Pizza Pizza and Recipe Unlimited. Nulife GreenTech was also featured for converting food and ag waste into renewable bio-crude oil.
Health Canada and Food Standards Australia New Zealand have introduced a shared GM food assessment pathway, allowing companies to submit one application for approval in both markets. The pilot aims to reduce regulatory duplication and streamline market access—especially beneficial for Canadian agri-food biotech firms targeting Asia-Pacific.
🛠️ Job Openings
Here’s a few cool food innovation jobs that popped up recently:
🌟 Highlights from YODL
Catch up on this week’s YODL conversations…
Do you have something worth including in our next Friday Food Innovation Roundup? Reply to this post to let us know about your news, events, or job openings!