HALIFAX — Canadians say they are ready to use their wallets to fight the trade war with the United States, which began today as President Donald Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods.
Haligonians interviewed today said they are focused on buying Canadian whenever possible, and many said they had already stopped purchasing American products, as Trump had been threatening tariffs for months.
In downtown Halifax, Darcy Comeau said there is nothing Canadians can do about tariffs other than change their buying habits, adding that people should find as many alternatives as possible to products from south of the border.
Christopher Hart, a Halifax resident who is a dual Canada-U.S. citizen, says he’s furious with Trump.
Hart says California wines have long been a favourite, but he won’t buy any wine made with American grapes from now on.
Halifax-based Narrative Research released a poll today indicating three-quarters of Canadians have changed at least one purchasing behaviour since Trump began threatening Canada with tariffs.
The online poll conducted from Feb. 12-14 among 1,232 Canadians over the age of 18 asked if residents had sought out Canadian products, looked at labels to avoid U.S.-made items or cancelled a trip south of the border.
In response to the across-the-board tariffs on Canada and Mexico, with a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy, the federal government today announced immediate 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion worth of American products, and will expand them to cover another $125 billion in U.S. goods in 21 days.