$46K tariff puts brakes on Winnipeg retiree's dream, as classic car caught in trade war

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 24, 2025 8:33 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

A Winnipeg retiree who spent years redeeming for his imagination car was devastated to permission it down astatine the Canadian borderline aft being handed a $46,000 levy arsenic a effect of the U.S.-Canada commercialized war.

Pat Fletcher, 77, believed helium did his owed diligence to guarantee the 1968 Dodge Charger he's been yearning for was exempt from a 25 per cent tariff. But what was astir to beryllium a imagination travel existent rapidly turned into a nightmare, helium said. 

"I'm conscionable sick to my stomach. I can't adjacent eat," Fletcher said.

On March 15 helium met up connected the U.S. broadside of the borderline with a trucking institution that was hauling the vintage car helium purchased 10 days anterior for $98,000 US. He loaded it onto his trailer and tried to travel backmost into Canada erstwhile borderline services told him to propulsion aside. 

Fletcher was fixed a insubstantial gaffe with the sum of $46,636 written down — the magnitude required to wage successful tariffs to import the conveyance from the U.S. into Canada.

"I astir blacked out, you know, it was terrible," helium said. "That's conscionable excessively overmuch money, that's conscionable ridiculous."

Earlier this month Ottawa imposed a 25 per cent counter-tariff on definite U.S. goods coming into Canada, successful retaliation to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.

Among the $30 cardinal worthy of products deed by the levy are vehicles manufactured much than 25 years ago.

Fletcher was told helium could wage the tariff with a recognition paper but didn't person a bounds that would let that much.

"I was hopeless to get my car. I said I wasn't leaving without it. I was frightened and not reasoning right," helium said.

Border agents advised Fletcher to get a retention locker for the car in North Dakota past caput backmost to Canada until helium could get the wealth to wage for the tariff.

He slept successful the car that nighttime and the adjacent time recovered a heated, covered store successful Pembina, N.D., to permission the vehicle.

Fletcher has had a vintage car hobby for decades but owning the '68 Charger has a peculiar meaning for him. He owned the aforesaid exemplary erstwhile helium was 17.

"They're hard to find. Nobody wants to merchantability them and the terms is mode up connected them," helium said. "I thought I'd ne'er ever find [one]."

Fletcher is informing different collectors to beryllium cautious erstwhile purchasing a car oregon parts successful the U.S., to debar his experience.

A spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency said definite importers can petition advanced rulings connected tariff classifications, which helps determine whether they'll person to wage a levy.

The national bureau besides said travellers who consciousness their imported goods were improperly taxed at the border can petition an adjustment.

For now, Fletcher is holding onto anticipation tariffs mightiness beryllium lowered erstwhile a caller national authorities is elected successful Canada.

"Trump, Canada and Mexico, they gotta get unneurotic and straighten it retired due to the fact that they're wrecking their ain countries," helium said. 

"The 3 of america person been neighbours and friends for each these years, this large relationship. Why deed each other?"

But if the concern drags connected helium is not wholly ruling retired the thought of selling the car. 

"I'd person immoderate money, but I wouldn't person a car, truthful not a bully situation. Nothing's good, unless they little that tariff," helium said.