I’ve been waiting years for American distributors to figure out how to import Canadian cheeses. The hurdles are many and hard to grasp, especially given that Vermont (dairy state) and Quebec (dairy province) share a border. It should be so easy, so unremarkable. Allies trade with each other. And very recently it was starting to happen. Some of the top Canadian cheeses—the ones winning awards from the American Cheese Society—were making it to U.S. shops thanks to some determined importers. I served two Canadian cheeses at a recent class featuring new arrivals and people went nuts for them.

And now…well, who knows? For the moment, cheese appears exempt from the new 50 percent tariff on Canadian dairy products, but matters could curdle quickly.

”The 50 percent tariff hits the industrial side: whey, milk protein concentrates, lactose, casein, milk powders,” said Steven Grandjean, CEO of Gourmet Imports, which distributes cheese from several top Canadian creameries. “Finished cheese, butter, yogurt, cream and ice cream are not on the covered list. Confusing, because the proclamation itself is built on the cheese grievance, but cheese isn't what's being taxed.”

U.S. importers, faced with uncertainty, are likely to order more cautiously, if at all. “The tariffs aren’t likely to help artisan cheese sales,” confirmed Grandjean. “If the expectation is that prices are high, that just pushes people toward cheaper product.”

If you’re as aggravated as I am by this spiteful tariff spat, head to the nearest cheese shop and snap up some of Canada’s finest before it’s too late.

Here are five Canadian cheeses to look for or ask for:

ACS Best of Show 2025: Alfred Le Fermier

Alfred Le Fermier from Quebec’s Fromagerie La Station is an ACS Best of Show winner, an eight-month-old wheel made with raw organic cow’s milk in the style of French and Swiss mountain cheeses like Comté and Appenzeller. The folks at Formaggio Kitchen know this one better than do so I defer to their description: “a supple texture and complex flavor that’s fruity and nutty with caramel-like notes.”

Awards magnet: Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar

Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar from COWS Creamery on Prince Edward Island is consistently judged one of North America’s best Cheddars. Among its honors: Canada’s Cheese of the Year, Grand Champion at SIAL (an international competition) and second runner-up to the Best of Show at the 2018 American Cheese Society judging. It is grassy, with pronounced minerality and layered flavor, not sweet and pineapply like a lot of U.S. Cheddars. And just look at that beautiful natural rind, the outcome of 18 months in the cellar.

Brie Paysan from Quebec’s Fromagerie du Presbytère tastes like a raw-milk cheese but isn’t. The fragrance of a ripe wheel will stink up your fridge, and that’s a compliment. Expect a thin rind, yielding texture and aromas of cooked cabbage, garlic and cauliflower.

Crunchy and creamy: Old Quebec Vintage Cheddar

Old Quebec Vintage 7-Year Cheddar, was initially imported years ago as a special selection for an East Coast retailer but is now more broadly distributed. It would be fun to compare to the Avonlea although the two are entirely different styles. This one is a block Cheddar, matured in a sealed bag, so it doesn’t develop a rind. While made in Quebec, it’s aged in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. You should find lots of crunchy protein crystals in its firm yet creamy interior, with bright acidity and robust flavor, more mellow than sharp.

Peppercorns for the win/Valerie Tobias Photography

Raclette de Compton au Poivre, another gem from Fromagerie La Station, was one of the “wow” cheeses at my recent newcomer tasting. Made from raw cow’s milk in a classic raclette style but with a genius addition—an internal layer of pink peppercorns that imparts a floral note. Nutty, creamy and a great melter, of course.