Cranberry juice, anyone? How the trade war will affect your breakfast table (and many other things)

Mia Urquhart · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 05, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: March 5

As Day 2 of the tariff warfare with the United States dawns implicit Canada, residents whitethorn beryllium contemplating implicit meal what they tin bash to help. 

"Well, I deliberation that you whitethorn reconsider your orangish foodstuff for sure," said Sylvain Charlebois, a prof and manager of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab astatine Dalhousie University. 

Now that tariffs person been imposed, Charlebois said the astir effectual happening Canadians tin bash is to proceed to enactment Canadian products. 

"Right present you're seeing a populace rejecting America astatine the market store and income [of American products] are down 5 per cent successful a month."

And that was earlier tariffs were imposed. Charlebois expects "the momentum volition lone grow" present that tariffs are a reality. 

By not buying American, Charlebois said, consumers volition "de-Americanize" market stores, and that includes a batch of nutrient and processed goods.  

So erstwhile it comes to breakfast, for example, determination are a batch of options for New Brunswickers, said David Campbell, an economical improvement advisor and a erstwhile main economist for the New Brunswick government. 

"A meal that is immune from tariffs would see blueberry foodstuff oregon cranberry foodstuff — we nutrient a batch of cranberries present successful the province. It would see locally sourced beef oregon pork products."

Eggs and dairy products are besides connected the safe-from-tariffs breakfast, said Campbell. 

"So there's tons of ways we could bargain local. It mightiness beryllium a small much costly than it was successful the past, but it would beryllium little exposed to the challenges present we're facing with the United States."

While it helps to bargain local, New Brunswickers simply can't travel adjacent to buying capable to marque up for the imaginable nonaccomplishment of U.S. customers, said Campbell. 

For example, New Brunswick produces "enough two-by-fours to service the full Canadian market."

"We nutrient a full batch much lobster and blueberries and potatoes than we would ever request present successful the state — maple syrup. We perfectly person to person export markets for those goods."

And determination are immoderate products that we conscionable can't get successful Canada, similar vehicles, said Campbell. And those things conscionable got much costly overnight. 

Jobs are besides astatine risk, said Campbell. 

The state estimates that 35,000 jobs successful the state are linked to exports to the U.S. and expects 4,000 to 6,000 of them could beryllium mislaid arsenic a effect of the tariffs.

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

"About a 3rd of each backstage assemblage jobs successful New Brunswick are straight successful export sectors," said Campbell. 

"So those are industries similar manufacturing, but besides agriculture and work industries that export goods and services to the U.S. and different countries … And truthful if you're successful 1 of those sectors, there's an expanding accidental that your occupation volition beryllium straight affected," helium said. 

"It's 1 happening to accidental we're going to wage much for orangish juice but if we commencement losing our large manufacturing companies and our large exporters, that's going to beryllium truly hard connected the economy."

Campbell said New Brunswickers should "go astir your concern and if possible, effort to bargain Canadian."

A batch of section markets are already feeling the interaction of that sentiment. 

Dan Cullen, the proprietor of Dan's Country Market successful Saint John, is 1 of them. For the past fewer weeks, he's been noticing customers spending a batch much clip looking astatine the labels and asking whether things are made successful Canada. 

"It's decidedly accrued income for definite with the support-local movement," helium said. 

Cullen estimates that astir 99 per cent of his products are made successful Canada. The objection is immoderate pop, candy and produce. 

When helium can, Cullen tries to debar buying from the United States. At the moment, it's casual due to the fact that he's capable to get a batch of tropical fruit, including oranges and grapes, from different places. 

The 1 notable objection is lettuce, which does travel from the U.S. due to the fact that it's a batch cheaper than from a Canadian greenhouse.

Whether helium continues to acquisition American lettuce, and different produce, will beryllium connected his customers and whether they're consenting to bargain it, oregon whether they similar to bargain the much costly grown-in-Canada option.