We can all do our part.
The trade war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump has heightened emotions on this side of the border as Canadians rightly feel they’ve been betrayed by their closest neighbour, strongest ally and largest trading partner.
Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs have been the subject of heated discussions at water coolers and kitchen tables across the country, but there’s more we can do than just voice our displeasure and shake our heads in disbelief.
We can fight back with our buying habits. Purchasing a Canadian product rather than one produced in the United States might seem inconsequential given the scope of this controversy, but a collective effort can have real impact given we’re more than 40 million strong.
Make no mistake, our buying power carries weight, even to a global giant like the United States.
Stores are making it easier than ever to know which products are Canadian-made and many shoppers started modifying their buying choices when Trump began beating the tariff drum after his return to office in January. Those efforts have only intensified in the ensuing couple of months, but even more can be done to exert financial pressure on our southern neighbours.
It’s a shame that Trump’s nationalist policies are straining a trade relationship that’s proven to be mutually beneficial over a great many years, but as long as tariffs, or the threat of them, are in place, Canadians must look after their own best interests.
Given ever-changing goalposts, it’s difficult to know what needs to happen to resolve the situation, but the greater the unrest on that side of the border, the more pressure Trump will be under to dial back the tariff talk.
You can do your part in that regard by continuing to check those labels.
