Tariffs' effects on Canada

- by Calvin Daniels

September 10, 2025

key points from this story:

• Tariffs now hurting Canadian exports.
• Consumer solidarity boosted local purchases.
• Domestic market can't absorb export losses.
• Agriculture sector hit hardest by trade shifts.
• Ottawa pledges aid to affected industries.
• Long-term solutions may raise national debt.

The immediate impact of tariffs which are being imposed against Canadian exports may finally be having the hugely negative effects many have feared. Initially in the face of tariffs imposed by the willy-nilly trade policies of US president Donald Trump Canada has fared rather well. Many Canadians have taken the ‘elbows-up’ approach when making purchases looking for Canadian produced products firstly – as it should be at all times really – then to products from other countries, and finally only in desperation buying American products.

It’s been effective economically, and has been a positive also in terms of solidarity of Canadians – something we sometimes lose track of – that this nation is better than most and we should have a collective pride in that. But in the end Canada’s buying power domestically just is not that large. The ag sector learned that lesson when Canada was forced to eat its way from under a mountain of beef in the years immediately following the discovery of BSE in a Canadian cow in 2003, effectively shutting down most exports for an extended period. The BSE situation was hugely difficult for the Canadian meat sector which relies heavily on exports.