Making maple syrup in the whimsical spring weather of New England can be an unpredictable business.
Now, President Donald Trump’s ever-changing tariff policies add unease about industries that rely on multinational trade.
“We feel that all sorts of disruption for businesses that are beyond our borders,” said Jim Judd, a fourth-generation Sugar Elle who owns Judd’s Ways Farm in Morgan, Vermont. “It’s not clear enough to make maple syrup.”
Judd, who has been making Vermont signature products since the 1970s, says several countries have contributed to each container of sticky sweeteners.
Stainless steel fixtures used to connect sap lines and boil liquids into syrup can occur in China.
Packaging often comes from Italy. The majority of equipment is also sold in Canada, producing about four-fifths of Earth’s maple syrup, with nearly two-thirds of that being sold to US consumers.
That’s why whiplash this spring is a concern among many other US producers in Vermont, New York, Maine and Wisconsin.
Earlier this month, Trump has retreated the strictest tariffs in most countries for 90 days, raising taxes on Chinese imports to 145%, and has long been stuck on tariffs on goods on Canada, Mexico and the country.
Allison Hope, executive director of the Vermont Maple Sugar Manufacturers Association, said Trump’s latest position assumes that for now it means there will be no tariffs on completed maple products, but the situation becomes even more intense when you consider that the packaging, equipment and materials needed could occur in China.
“It’s like New England weather. You wait five minutes and it might change,” Hope said. “Now, how Canada has made the equipment and got the materials is important. … It’s difficult for companies to run in a growth mentality when they don’t have a sense of how and how the industry will look in a year.”
Uncertainty is coming into an era of relative growth for US and Canadian syrup producers.
Vermont has seen nearly 500% increase in production over the past 20 years as producers expanded, new businesses formed, and U.S. consumers sought sophisticated sugar alternatives, Hope said.
But the maple syrup powerhouse, a confused trade with Canada, could be devastating.
Judd said he bought “countless hours and lots of money” in Canada over decades.
Import taxes can significantly increase his costs, and he believes that he cannot raise prices, as syrup is essentially a luxurious good.
“We can’t do this without Canada’s help. We can’t buy what we need from another outlet because we’re in Canada,” Judd said. “We’ve crossed this border for the rest of our lives. The recent changes that are being imposed on people here are not sure if they are all necessary.”
