Canada's anti-tariff billboards in the U.S. go viral — but is anyone swayed?

Sophia Harris · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 29, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 20 minutes ago

An antithetic billboard caught Tom Smith's oculus earlier this week arsenic helium was heading to enactment astatine Emory University successful Atlanta.

Paid for by the Canadian government, the billboard told Americans successful large bold letters that "tariffs are a taxation connected your market bill."

"I thought it was beauteous novel," said Smith, an economics professor. "I'm virtually teaching this successful my people that tariffs are a tax, that tariffs volition rise prices domestically."

Asked if helium thought the connection was effective, Smith said that's up successful the air.

"I don't cognize if it volition alteration people's minds," helium said, referring to Americans who enactment U.S. President Trump's tariffs connected Canada and different countries. "There is simply a existent of, let's say, absorption to accusation that is rather pervasive." 

But, helium added, "if 1 of the incentives was to get radical talking astir tariffs, it surely has achieved that goal."

The national authorities has launched an anti-tariff billboard campaign in 12 mostly Republican-voting states and successful Washington, D.C. Messages connected the billboards include, "Tariffs are a taxation astatine the state pump" and "Tariffs are a taxation connected hardworking Americans."

Although the assemblage is inactive retired connected the campaign's effectiveness, 1 thing's for definite — it has gone viral.

Even though the signs lone started popping up implicit the past fewer days, galore American media outlets person already covered the communicative with eye-catching headlines specified arsenic "Canada targets U.S. tariffs with provocative billboards crossed Florida."

One Reddit station astir a billboard successful Buckeye, Ariz., has truthful acold garnered 13,000 upvotes from readers and much than 500 comments. 

Ottawa launched the run "to pass Americans of the economical impacts of tariffs," said Global Affairs Canada spokesperson John Babcock successful an email to CBC News.

The tariffs he's referring to see a 25 per cent tariff connected Canadian alloy and aluminum, and threatened tariffs connected a wide scope of different Canadian goods, including cars and car parts, acceptable to instrumentality effect connected Wednesday.

The billboards are funny?

The billboard run is up against ubiquitous messaging from Trump that imposing tariffs connected goods imported from different countries volition unit companies to physique factories successful the U.S., creating much jobs and strengthening the economy.

There besides appears to beryllium a glitch successful the campaign. On his mode to enactment astatine a adjacent infirmary successful Columbus, Ga., Kelly Jessop says helium spotted 1 that said "Tariffs are a tax" successful English, but that the remainder of the connection was successful French.

"I conscionable thought it was funny," helium said. "Nobody successful southbound Georgia speaks French.… So that would beryllium wholly mislaid connected the bulk of radical successful that area."

CBC News did not instantly perceive backmost from Global Affairs connected the bilingual billboard.

Chris Ervin besides thought the billboard helium sighted successful New Port Richey, Fla., this week was comic — but for antithetic reasons. The connection was: "Tariffs are a taxation connected your market bill."

"I burst retired laughing," said Ervin, who staunchly supports Trump's tariffs and believes the Canadian authorities is wasting its wealth successful Florida. 

"This is Trump territory. The bulk of radical present emotion what he's doing," helium said. 

When CBC News suggested that American companies forced to wage 25 per cent tariffs connected imports whitethorn walk connected the outgo to American shoppers, Ervin responded that helium could debar terms increases by buying domestic products astatine the supermarket. 

"Look astatine each the brands that we tin bargain that's American made," helium said. "I'm not going to bargain the Canadian whiskeys. I'll extremity up buying thing American made."

Choose your words carefully

Economist Moshe Lander says Ervin's statement highlights a flaw successful the Canadian government's messaging that tariffs volition pb to higher nutrient prices.

"American consumers don't bargain a batch of groceries from Canada to statesman with. And what groceries they bash bargain from Canada, they should precise easy beryllium capable to find substitutes," said Lander, a elder lecturer astatine the University of Concordia successful Montreal. 

WATCH | 'Very productive' call:

He suggests the market connection is ineffective due to the fact that "a scare maneuver lone works if it's backed up by a credible threat."

Moshe says the informing that tariffs are a taxation astatine the state pump packs much punch, due to the fact that it's credible.

Trump has said helium volition enforce a 10 per cent tariff connected lipid and state exports from Canada.

Much of Alberta's lipid is sent to U.S. refineries which are acceptable up to process Canadian crude. Moshe says there's nary casual substitution.

"The lone [other country] that has Alberta-type crude is Venezuela and that's connected the U.S. deed list, truthful that's not happening." The Trump medication has precocious deported hundreds of Venezuelans, claiming without grounds that they are pack members oregon "alien terrorists." 

• Everything you privation to cognize astir the Canada-U.S. tariffs

Global Affairs did not respond to a question astir the suggested messaging flaw, and did not supply a outgo for the billboard campaign. 

Regardless of the messaging, it's inactive questionable if the billboards volition transportation overmuch sway. 

"What does the Canadian authorities expect to get retired of immoderate benignant of run similar this?" said Ervin.

"I can't ideate anybody successful Florida paying attraction to those things."