In protest of President Donald Trump’s impending tariffs, some Canadians have started to boo the U.S. national anthem at professional athletic events and boycott American goods.
Pierre Oliver, one of the many irate citizens of the U.S. ally country, expressed his frustration on Sunday by responding to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s appeal to prioritize purchasing Canadian goods in retribution for Trump’s executive order imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China.
Oliver, a 67-year-old business owner from Ontario, added, “It’s a drop in the bucket.” However, it’s our only option.
Trump declared on Saturday that imports from Canada and Mexico would be subject to a 25% duty, with the exception of Canadian energy items, which would be subject to a 10% tariff. Citing the contribution of all three nations to the influx of illegal immigrants into the United States, he also imposed a 10% duty on goods from China.
After Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to send 10,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to address drug issues, Trump stated on Monday that the tariffs he had planned to impose on Mexican goods would be put on hold for a month.
However, on Tuesday, the United States will begin imposing duties on Canada. According to Trudeau, Canada will impose a 25% tariff on approximately $106 billion worth of U.S. goods in retaliation.
According to Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, officials will order the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation to take all American-made alcoholic beverages off store shelves as of Tuesday.
Trudeau and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew both encouraged Canadians to purchase domestically produced items.
Trudeau wrote on social media that now is the moment to choose goods produced in Canada. Examine the labels. Let’s contribute. We should pick Canada whenever possible.
Buying locally, according to Kinew, is a chance to “fight back.” Kinew posted on social media, saying, “Where you spend your money are some of the most important decisions that you make.”
Some people offered ideas for Canadian substitutes for well-known American brands including Kraft, Dawn, Lysol, Campbell’s, and Starbucks in at least one significant Facebook group, which was established years ago to promote Canadian goods and currently has over 577,000 members. Others proudly posted pictures of their shopping trips that included nothing from the United States.
One social media user remarked, “My first shopping trip with my new buy no US mandate.”
Another social media user claimed to have seen Made in British Columbia labels in aisles at a Loblaws City Market, showing which products were made domestically. Whether the labeling were a reaction to the tariffs was not immediately confirmed by the Canadian grocery chain on Monday.
According to the Associated Press, some Canadian sports fans jeered performances of the Star-Spangled Banner during the Toronto Raptors basketball game and the NHL’s Canucks game held in Canada over the weekend, demonstrating the country’s fervent opposition to the tariffs.
The tariffs have personally affected Oliver, the furious company owner participating in the boycott.
He claimed that during the D-Day invasion of World War II, his grandpa, a former officer in the Royal Canadian Navy, assisted in landing American troops on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, when Allied forces landed in 1944.
Oliver remarked, “My grandfather did not risk his life for this world.”
Oliver, who has over a dozen years of experience producing high-end model train kits, stated that he is prepared for the worst.
“The threatened tariff has the potential to put a stop to my business,” he added.
Oliver stated that the United States accounts for about 95% of his sales and that he may need to raise the price of his kits, which are now available for $65.
He claimed that everyone has a tipping point. The consumer may decide they are not ready to pay that amount of money at that time if the cost to them increases significantly.
Oliver stated that he will be impacted by the tariffs on both sides because he also uses some American-made raw materials to create his goods.
According to him, there is inflationary pressure everywhere. This is a huge betrayal of a more than 100-year-old legacy.