Cross-border Montreal shopper feels 'punished' after being stung by tariffs on return home

Hénia Ould-Hammou · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 12, 2025 2:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 21 minutes ago

Montrealer Jenny Georgiopoulos had an unpleasant astonishment erstwhile she arrived astatine the Saint-Armand, Que., borderline crossing connected Saturday aft a time of buying successful Vermont with a friend.  

She had spent astir $300 US on groceries, as she usually does. But the instrumentality home was antithetic this time. 

Georgiopoulos says she was instructed to spell wrong the customs bureau and was asked to wage taxes and tariffs connected her purchased items.

"I paid $138 successful tariffs connected groceries that I don't deliberation astir Canadians adjacent cognize are successful spot because we're nether the presumption that it's a retaliatory tariff. So if the U.S. hasn't imposed theirs, we shouldn't person imposed ours yet," said Georgiopoulos.

While U.S. President Donald Trump announced past week helium was pausing tariffs connected immoderate Canadian goods until April 2, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has refused to region retaliatory tariffs until Trump backs off entirely.

The Canada Border Services Agency has been implementing a 25 per cent tariff, oregon surtax, connected a long database of goods from the U.S. since past week.

Georgiopoulos says she shops in the U.S. because she finds the prices cheaper and she says stores determination transportation products that can't beryllium recovered successful Canada.

She says she views the tariffs she had to wage astatine the borderline arsenic a mode to "punish" Canadians for spending their wealth successful the U.S. alternatively of supporting their section economy.

What is taxable to tariffs? 

If you permission the state for just a day, the wide regularisation is that there's nary idiosyncratic exemption, which means you tin expect to wage taxes and duties, according to Maxime Jenkins-Lagueux, acting manager for the Montérégie borderline district. 

If you're distant for implicit 24 hours, you tin walk up to $200 Cdn on goods without paying duties oregon taxes. 

And aft an lack of much than 2 days, you tin assertion goods worthy up to $800 Cdn. There are besides limits connected however overmuch of that tin beryllium spent connected baccy and alcohol. 

Trudeau's counter-tariffs don't use to idiosyncratic exemptions.

"In the past... erstwhile travellers were coming backmost from a afloat time of buying successful the U.S., they were asked to wage immoderate taxes and duties. The quality present is that determination is an other surtax that applies connected goods originating from the U.S. of 25 per cent and it depends connected the class of goods that radical are bringing back," said Jenkins-Lagueux.

So, if you're utilized to bringing non-taxable foods implicit the border like turkey, you mightiness present person to wage a tariff.

The national government's website present includes a database of products taxable to tariffs.

It besides has a calculator that estimates work and taxes connected goods imported from the U.S. for idiosyncratic use. However, this calculator doesn't relationship for the 25 per cent surtax.

'I was expecting much compassion'

Georgiopoulos says she's ne'er had to wage taxes before, contempt making the travel to the U.S. regularly and spending astir $300 US on idiosyncratic goods successful nether 24 hours. This time, she was told astatine the borderline that Canadian officers were directed to propulsion implicit radical carrying groceries.

"Our officers person immoderate benignant of discretion to use taxes and duties depending connected the discourse of the larboard of entry, the volumes," said Jenkins-Lagueux. "However, travellers should expect to wage taxes and duties connected everything they bring backmost without idiosyncratic exemption." 

On her Saturday travel to Vermont, Georgiopoulos besides bought products that were made successful Italy and Mexico and says 1 Canada Border Services Agency serviceman was unsure whether to taxation those.

Jenkins-Lagueux points retired that tariffs use connected goods made oregon assembled successful the U.S. that look connected the national government's list.

"It's truly the root of the merchandise successful presumption of wherever it comes from and not wherever it has been sold," helium said. "Where determination is simply a lawsuit that there's nary wide root to the officer, we're going to usually presume that this bully originates from the U.S. truthful the surtax volition use successful this case." 

The aforesaid rules use to goods purchased by consumers erstwhile they instrumentality to Canada by plane.

Georgiopoulos is not definite she'll repetition the acquisition anytime soon. 

"I don't deliberation I'll beryllium going buying anymore due to the fact that erstwhile we came backmost into Canada, we felt similar criminals," she said.

"I was expecting much compassion astatine a borderline municipality due to the fact that … towns connected some sides of the borderline trust connected this planetary commercialized and radical crossing."