Border Blockades In Canada Hinders U.S. Cattle And Beef Shipments

Feb 10, 2022

The U.S is the largest destination for Canada’s live cattle and beef exports. According to the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canada exports these agricultural goods to 62 countries but is reliant on the U.S. for 72 percent of them.

Canada is facing blockades and protests regarding COVID-19 restrictions at the Coutts, Alberta and Sweet Grass Montana border. These blockages are hindering exporting and importing of meat and grain across the border, which could spell economic harm to the industry.

Shaun Haney, Founder and Publisher of Real Agriculture in Alberta says the protests are impacting both the Canadian and U.S beef industries.

“It's been a pretty divisive situation here this week in southern Alberta. You know, trade across the Canada US border is absolutely critical for Canada's economy specifically for the beef industry. That's kind of the main laneway for live cattle leaving southern Alberta to go to Hyrum, Utah,” said Haney.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.