After being granted a 30-day delay, Canada may have to deal with a first wave of tariffs that will apply as of Tuesday, March 4 unless otherwise advised by President Donald Trump.  What impact will these measures have on the country and, closer to home, on businesses in Vaudreuil-Soulanges? 

From that date, a 10% fee will be applied on Canadian oil and gas, while 25% of tariffs will affect other imports by local companies that will take the road to Uncle Sam’s country. 

Note that since taking office, Donald Trump has signed seven documents, decrees, proclamations or presidential directives on the imposition of customs duties on its trading partners. 

One week later, on March 12, unless otherwise advised, tariffs of 25% will be imposed on steel and aluminum from Canada. It should be noted that, about two weeks ago, the White House suggested that these tariffs on these two metals would add to those of 25% applicable to all Canadian products, with the exception of gas and oil. This would increase the tariff rate to 50%. 

Then, on April 1, reciprocal tariffs will also apply in response to the 5% goods and services tax (GST), 3% digital services tax and agricultural trade barriers. 

At a press conference held last January, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, specified a list of products whose prices will be raised.  Here it is: 

- The wine;

- Beer;

- American whisky;

- Orange juice;

- The coffee; 

- The tea;

- The rice;

- Chocolate; 

- Tobacco and cigars; 

- Makeup (lipstick, eye pencil, nail polish); 

- Shaving products, deodorants, shampoo, toothpaste and dental care; 

- Dishes and utensils;

- Appliances;

- The fruit;

- Vegetables;

- Bathtubs, showers, sinks and washbasins; 

- Doors and windows; 

- The perfume;

- Clothing;

- The shoes;

- Carpets, curtains and sheets; 

- Tyres for trucks, cars, motorcycles and bicycles;

- Suitcases; 

- Jewelry; 

- Firearms; 

- Furniture and mattresses; 

- Cleaning products;

- Sports equipment;

- The plastic;

- The lumber.

“Buying is voting”

In the wake of the announcements, many Quebeckers and Canadians are calling for a boycott of American products. As the expression says, “buy is vote”.

Here are some sectors of economic activity to boycott the products of our neighbours to the south: 

- Shop Differently

At the grocery store, consumers might prefer local products, from the rest of Canada and even from Mexico, rather than foods from the United States like Florida orange juice or California strawberries. In fact, the LCBO in Ontario has announced that it will remove American wines and spirits from its shelves. In Quebec, it is not excluded that the same measure will be applied to the SAQ.

The idea also applies outside at the grocery store, in particular by avoiding shopping on Amazon and instead encouraging Quebec businesses. As for boycotting the big chains like Starbuck, Walmart or McDonald, even if the concept seems logical and easy to apply, it could affect and harm Quebec workers who work there.  

- Travel locally

Local tourism is good for the country’s economy, but also for the environment. Quebec is full of beautiful places to discover, as is the rest of Canada.

- Leave social networks

Since the appointment of Elon Musk, owner of X - formerly Twitter - to the Ministry of Government Efficiency, many people have unsubscribed from the platform. The same phenomenon has been observed on the side of Facebook and Instagram as their founder Mark Zuckerberg has become very close to the Trump administration. Recall that in recent weeks, Zuckerberg announced the end of fact checking on Facebook in the US.

The effect of leaving these platforms may seem minimal, but by the force of things, the more people unsubscribe, the more advertising revenues will fall and who knows, the political influence of Trump too.  

- Consume local culture

There are many options to consume and encourage TV productions from home. Just think of Tout.tv, Crave, CBC Gemme or Illico. In addition, the monthly fees for these platforms are often lower or closer to those of Netflix, so the consumer does not lose anything by exploring them.