50% US-Canada tariffs leave small firms scrambling on both sides
Why it matters: retailers and exporters say overnight duties threaten orders, force price hikes and could erase key cross-border sales.
Small businesses in Canada and the United States say the new 50% tariffs between the two countries are already threatening orders, margins and jobs. After trade talks collapsed over the weekend, President Donald Trump put duties on Canadian goods including wine, dairy, cement, clothing and hockey equipment. Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged matching levies starting Sept. 8 on US steel, dairy, appliances and electronics. Calgary jewelry seller Cindy Baldassi said about 75% of her sales come from US buyers and expects at least half her business to disappear. Toronto menswear brand Outclass warned US stores could reject September shipments rather than pay surprise import bills.