Small N.S. businesses resume shipping to U.S. — but at a price for American customers

Danielle Edwards · CBC News

· Posted: May 17, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 12 minutes ago

Some tiny Nova Scotia businesses are erstwhile again retooling successful the look of an evolving commercialized warfare betwixt the U.S. and China, saying they volition resume deliveries to American customers present that tariffs are being rolled back.

The determination comes conscionable astir a week aft the concern owners halted shipments southbound of the borderline to debar saddling customers with fees that, successful immoderate cases, amounted to much than the point purchased.

"We've decidedly been keeping a adjacent oculus connected things," said Cassy Collins, proprietor of Classy Cards Creative successful Windsor, N.S.

The store had concisely stopped shipments to the U.S. due to the fact that galore of the products it sells are manufactured successful China and subjected to tariffs. 

Chinese and U.S. officials announced connected May 12 that they would slash most of their caller tariffs successful a 90-day truce. China agreed to trim its complaint connected American goods to 10 per cent, portion the U.S. dropped its tariff complaint connected Chinese goods to 30 per cent.

'Nothing other we tin truly do'

Restarting shipments to the U.S., however, hasn't travel without adjustments for some Collins and her customers — including terms hikes.

She said the store has accrued pricing for American customers by 30 per cent to screen the tariffs up front, meaning they won't beryllium deed with an unexpected measure connected their extremity erstwhile they get their deliveries.

"I'm definite it volition inactive interaction income due to the fact that we've raised prices by 30 per cent, but there's thing other we tin truly bash astir that," Collins said.

"We're really inactive losing a small spot of wealth doing it this way, but it's amended being capable to vessel this mode than not being capable to vessel it all."

The proprietor of The Curling Store successful Dartmouth, N.S., Scott Bowers, had besides stopped shipments to the U.S. past week. He's present trying to resume deliveries crossed the border.

Bowers said helium wants to fig retired a mode to forestall shocking American customers with tariff costs connected their end.

"I request the U.S. lawsuit to cognize precisely what the terms is, due to the fact that what's happening is they're getting the package, they don't recognize that there's each these work fees and past they're like, 'Oh no, I'm not going to judge that,'" helium said. "Then I got merchandise that's retired determination that I can't truly get backmost due to the fact that it's excessively expensive."

Bowers antecedently said that similar Classy Cards, astir of the products helium sells are made successful China. Also similar Classy Cards, Bowers said he's preparing to rise prices for American customers truthful helium tin screen those tariff costs up of the items being delivered.

Looking into different markets

He added that he's acrophobic astir managing the increasing marketplace for curling supplies successful the U.S., and moving forward, helium whitethorn see expanding into different planetary markets.

For Collins, close present the concern volition beryllium taking things cautiously.

"Things are inactive successful changeless fluctuation. I'm not making immoderate drastic changes to the concern close present until there's going to beryllium immoderate much factual rules and plans enactment into place," she said.