The threat of significant U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods has sparked a “buy Canadian” movement, with U.S. brands and U.S. retail a potential casualty.
On Saturday, Feb. 1, Trump vowed to slap a 25% tariff on both Canada and Mexico, citing issues with border security. After much uproar, within two days, the proposed tariffs against both countries were postponed for a month as negotiations take place.
However, anger persists as the U.S. national anthem continues to be booed at NBA and NHL games held in Canada, Canadians have been canceling trips to the U.S., and calls to boycott American products and services are growing louder. The tariffs could push the Canadian economy into a recession and put thousands of jobs at risk.
Monika Morelli, a Montreal resident, told the BBC that she canceled her Netflix and Amazon accounts as well as a trip planned to New Orleans later this year.
“There is something that has been irrevocably broken now, after centuries of the U.S. and Canada being allies,” Morelli said. The tariff threat, as well as President Donald Trump’s remarks that Canada could become the 51st U.S. state (whether a joke or not), “have made something snap in us all.”
A survey from national pollster Angus Reid released last Wednesday found that 91% of Canadians want a reduction of the country’s reliance on the U.S., more than the 59% wanting to repair the relationship to the place it was before the near trade war.
Many Canadians continue to call for a boycott of U.S. products following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s call before the 30-day reprieve arrived to prioritize buying Canadian goods in retaliation for the tariff threat. “Now is also the time to choose Canada,” Trudeau said. “There are many ways for you to do your part, it might mean checking the labels at the supermarket and picking Canadian-made products, it might mean opting for Canadian rye over Kentucky bourbon, or forgoing Florida orange juice altogether.”
One major Facebook group, which was created years ago to promote Canadian products, has doubled its members to nearly 900,000 following the U.S. threat. The site shares suggestions on Canadian alternatives to popular American brands, including Kraft, Dawn, Lysol, Campbell’s, and Starbucks, and also sees members share photos of their grocery hauls containing zero U.S. goods.
Also feeling the pain could be any U.S. restaurant or retailer with a presence in Canada, which has a population of about 40 million. A “Buy Canadian” thread on Reddit states, “Stop eating at American fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Subway. Boycott Walmart, Home Depot, Starbucks. No turning back.”
The U.S. has also long been the top travel destination with Canadians, boosting tourist traffic for U.S. chains for decades. Lorn Sheehan, a professor who specializes in tourism at Dalhousie University, told Courthouse News Service that Canadians choosing to travel elsewhere “could have a significant economic effect” for states such as Maine, Florida, California, and Arizona.
The U.S. Travel Association said Canadians made 20.4 million trips to the U.S. in 2024, and a 10% reduction in Canadian travel could mean 2 million fewer visits, $2.1 billion in lost spending, and 14,000 job losses.
A New York Times article this past weekend indicated that the strained relations between the two countries could take time to heal.
“This has damaged the relationship quite significantly, and there will be a period of sorting out,” Jon Parmenter, professor of North American history at Cornell, told the Times. “It has triggered really significant and striking emotional responses. It’s very raw for people.”
Some boycotts to a lesser degree are also being heard from Mexicans over tariffs as well as deportations of undocumented people.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Are Angry Canadian Consumers a Blow for US Retail? – RetailWire )
Also on site :
- Could 100 Men Really Take on One Gorilla and Win? We Asked ChatGPT
- Trump sees no red line that would change tariff policy - The Atlantic
- Pope Tawadros meets with mayor of Polish town