With more tariffs expected, small Sask. businesses say they're already feeling effects of trade war

Scott Larson · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 01, 2025 4:29 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

With the looming spectre of much U.S. tariffs expected this week and Canadian counter-tariffs threatened, connected apical of those already imposed, immoderate tiny businesses successful Saskatchewan accidental they're feeling the pinch.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said helium will impose much tariffs connected Canada arsenic of Wednesday, portion Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed Canada will retaliate successful kind.

That comes aft Trump slapped a 25 per cent tariff on virtually each Canadian goods aboriginal past month, prompting 25 per cent counter-tariffs on American goods from Canada.

"There person been tariffs that person been successful spot already, truthful we're already seeing immoderate terms increases connected definite products," said Garry Koebel, co-owner of the Sputtergotch Toy Company successful Swift Current, Sask.

"For instance, connected the gaming broadside of things, everything from Pokémon cards to hockey cards to committee games, we're seeing terms increases connected those already."

Koebel said 1 of his large decisions is however overmuch of the accrued outgo volition they beryllium capable to absorb, and however overmuch volition person to beryllium passed connected to the customer.

"And a batch of our suppliers are benignant of successful frozen mode astatine the infinitesimal here, due to the fact that there's truthful overmuch uncertainty," helium said.

Many of his suppliers are already trying to fig retired their accumulation for the adjacent Christmas season.

"They're uncertain what the input costs are going to be. They're going to beryllium uncertain astir what their customers are going to beryllium wanting to purchase," said Koebel.

"So it's conscionable that changeless flux of uncertainty that truly is benignant of paralyzing concern astatine the infinitesimal here."

Tariffs could besides rewrite the aboriginal of your favourite section bookstore.

One of the projected countermeasures Canada is looking astatine is tariffs connected books printed successful the U.S.

Peter Garden, who owns Turning the Tide Bookstore successful Saskatoon, said like galore industries, the publishing business, on with its related proviso chain, is profoundly integrated betwixt the 2 countries.

"It's going to beryllium precise hard to abstracted retired Canadian-authored and published books from American ones, and precise apt those Canadian-authored books are going to get caught up successful these counter-tariffs," helium said.

Tariffs volition rise publication prices, making it harder for autarkic bookstores similar his to enactment successful business, and may also propulsion radical to bid books online from immense U.S. booksellers, said Garden.

"Culturally … we're perpetually defending ourselves against the benignant of U.S. juggernaut," helium said. "There's not precise galore autarkic bookstores successful this country. Those of america who are inactive benignant of kicking are warring to enactment alive."

Bob Siemens, who owns Cowtown Kids Toy and Candy successful Maple Creek, Sask., said helium excessively has already seen terms increases coming from suppliers deed by tariffs.

"And arsenic acold arsenic the caller ones, they volition person a melodramatic terms effect connected our concern for our customers," Siemens said.

Cowtown sells thousands of antithetic products, ranging from games to candy to plush animals and subject toys.

Siemens said he's uncovering terms increases from suppliers are varied.

"It's ranging from immoderate companies being capable to find ways to sorb astir of the daze to fundamentally arsenic precocious arsenic a 25 per cent leap connected product," helium said, which has made it stressful to fig retired what to buy.

"I conscionable anticipation that connected the Canadian side, arsenic they are making decisions, they recognize the pressures that these tiny businesses are up against," Siemens said.

"Small retailers, successful galore cases, person to propulsion their merchandise retired of American warehouses," helium said. "As passionate arsenic we mightiness beryllium to effort to find a patriotic mode to debar immoderate of these things, it's simply not possible."

Koebel says the commercialized warfare is conscionable different obstacle tiny businesses person had to flooded successful the past fewer years, from the COVID-19 pandemic to large proviso concatenation disruptions to a postal strike.

"This is surely adding connected to the sheet without doubt, but there's immoderate metallic linings down it arsenic good too," helium said.

"It's forced america to beryllium looking astatine much home suppliers, home products," Koebel said. "We've been rather pleased with what we've been uncovering frankincense far, and I deliberation that portion is decidedly going to beryllium a affirmative going forward."

Turning the Tide's Garden said books are a portion of the Canadian fabric.

"They're important goods successful presumption of our knowing of ourselves, our quality to empathize with different radical done reading, our quality to larn astir the world," Garden said.

"So it could beryllium precise damaging some to the taste beingness successful Canada and to the autarkic publication industry."