The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that Canada's official maple syrup reserve is near empty, the result of a strong surge in demand that has drained supply to levels not seen in more than a decade. The Globe's Nicolas Van Praet writes that the Quebec industry's stockpile is maintained by a government-sanctioned cartel called the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, known by its French acronym PPAQ. Bulk buyers and processors, such as Rogers Sugar and Les Industries Bernard & Fils, are snapping up higher volumes of syrup to meet that demand and sell to retail customers. Increasing their stocks also gives them more operational flexibility in the context of trade tension with the United States, when they might need to make quick shipments on a timely basis. "This is the first time we're seeing a situation like this. There's much more inventory in the hands of our big buyers than in the past," said Simon Doré-Ouellet, deputy director-general at PPAQ. Quebec produces about 70 per cent of the world's maple syrup and roughly 65 per cent of that annual output is shipped to the United States. The breakfast staple is not subject to U.S. tariffs, though the industry continues to brace for that possibility.