How Canadians are bracing for the impact of Trump’s trade war

Ao vivo Clique aqui para pesquisar pesquisar Inscreva-se Menu de navegação caret-left caret-right Economia|Negócios e Economia Como os canadenses se preparam para o impacto da guerra comercial de Trump O movimento de compra local no Canadá permanece forte, mas novas tarifas podem testar quanto mais os consumidores estão dispostos a pagar.

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Trump, Netanyahu e a questão do Irã.

Os tarifas retaliatórias do Canadá sobre bens dos EUA entram em vigor, as tensões sobem.

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They’re easy to miss, but shoppers like Mateus Gujrel are on the lookout. They’re a quick sign that something is Canadian-made, an increasingly important factor for consumers like Gujrel amid a ballooning trade war with the United States.

Gujrel, desenvolvedor de software, faz parte de um aumento do nacionalismo em curso no Canadá. Desde que o US President Donald Trump retornou ao cargo no ano passado, as relações entre os dois países se intensificaram em tensão, em meio a ondas de US tariffs.

The tensions have made Gujrel “way more conscious” about buying locally sourced products, he said. He switched his almond milk brand and stopped buying LaCroix, replacing the American sparkling water with a Canadian alternative.

That kind of shopping has become increasingly common in Canada over the past year. Trump’s tariffs, along with his repeated comments about making Canada the “51st state”, have fuelled a movement to boycott US products and spend money closer to home.

There’s little sign that feeling is fading. Margaret Chapman, the chief operating officer at the market research company Narrative Research, said her firm has been tracking Canadians’ attitudes towards buying domestic products for roughly a year and a half.

A renewed escalation in the trade war, however, could make that commitment more complicated. Experts have warned that consumer prices could rise and job losses are possible.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney later accused the US of inserting last-minute demands into the negotiations, including terms that were “uneconomic, unfair and undermined the net benefits for Canada”.

Carney explained that the measures were a “dollar-for-dollar” response, targeting US products from steel and aluminium to dairy, appliances, clothing and cosmetics.

When will Canadians feel the impact of tariffs.

So far, many shoppers interviewed by Al Jazeera said they had not noticed any drastic price increases. Economists say that is not surprising.

The advisory firm Oxford Economics estimates that just 0. 25 percent of the average consumer basket is directly affected by the new tariffs, largely because many of the goods Canada targeted are used by businesses rather than bought directly by shoppers.

But some of the costs could still reach consumers indirectly over time. For example, while relatively few finished food products are directly affected, there are tariffs on the materials used to package them, including metal cans, glass containers and plastic films.

That means that, while the food items themselves are not subject to tariffs, they still could become more expensive.

Retail analyst Bruce Winder said many stores are also still selling inventory purchased before the tariffs took effect, so price increases could take time to show up.

For now, much of the direct financial burden is expected to fall on businesses. Oxford Economics estimates that businesses will bear at least half the cost of the new counter-tariffs, while households will bear about 20 percent through higher prices.

But Winder said there is only so much retailers can absorb, particularly if tariffs of 25 or 50 percent remain in place.

And for many Canadians, the uncertainty surrounding the trade war may matter as much as what is happening to prices.

Can Canadians afford to keep buying Canadian.

This all comes as Canadians are already feeling squeezed.

Meeda Buzzeri, who works in finance, said she has been deliberately trying to buy Canadian and avoiding US products where she can. For her, it is partly about pushing back against Trump.

But she admits choosing Canadian could get harder if it means paying significantly more.

So far, however, research suggests that the buy-Canadian movement is resilient.

Gujrel is among them. He said he would pay more for a Canadian product although, if it cost twice as much, he might reconsider.

Experts say that may be the real test of consumer commitment to the trend: not whether Canadians want to support domestic businesses, but how much more they can afford to do it.

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