Price of UK cheese could jump 245 per cent in Canada

Your favourite cheese may soon be harder to find in store.

Retailers are warning their customers that a 245 per cent tariff hike on products from the United Kingdom will mean they can no longer stock some varieties.

“We’re really starting to feel it now,” said Carmine Caccioppoli, the co-owner of Vincenzo’s in Waterloo, Ont. “A lot of the cheeses that we booked for the holiday season are starting to not come in.”

Andrew Wheeler is the co-owner of TOMME, a cheese and dairy speciality shop in Guelph, Ont.

“That effect is now trickling down, where we’re seeing a lot of shortages this holiday period,” he said. “A lot of favourites, things like Stilton or Wensleydale, some cheddars are just not available. We’ve ordered them, but they’re not showing up, unfortunately.”

A cheeky cheese sign at TOMME, a cheese and dairy specialty shop in Guelph, Ont., on Nov. 29, 2024. (Ashley Bacon/CTV News)

Even though it’s been two years since Brexit, the Canadian and British governments still haven’t been able to agree to a trade deal on cheese.

As a result, Ottawa placed a 245 per cent tariff on British exports at the beginning of this year.

According to experts in food and resource economics, the issue isn’t likely going to go away anytime soon.

“We have two types of rates that apply to the dairy product: the ‘in’ quota and ‘out’ quota,” said Sylvanus Afesorgbor, an associate professor at the University of Guelph. “The outgoing tariffs are very high, over 200 per cent.”

The cheese counter at Vincenzo's in Kitchener, Ont. on Nov. 29, 2024. (Ashley Bacon/CTV News)

At TOMME, they normally stock around 20 products from the UK but that number has now dropped significantly – to three. It’s a similar story at Vincenzo’s, but with hundreds of varieties currently available, customers still have options.

“Some of their favourite cheeses that they normally can count and rely on are just not going to be available this season, just because of the problems with the tariffs and the limitations on imports,” explained Caccioppoli.

Although the tariff has been in place since January 2024, the price of cheese hasn’t been affected much. But experts say that could change next year.

“We haven’t seen those price increases yet,” said Caccioppoli. “Thank goodness it’s not at that level for the consumer yet. Right now, it’s just a matter of you can’t get it in the new year, maybe because the prices doubled, and that will be a whole different story.”

If that happens, cheese shops suggest looking closer to home.

“I can think of a lot of different Canadian cheeses that can sort of fill those holes for people and hey, just look at it as an opportunity to try something new and find a new favourite,” Wheeler said.

With a few weeks left before Christmas, shoppers are urged to get their orders in to avoid missing out.