Businesses brace for slowdown amid uncertainty of looming U.S. tariffs [Video]

André Grzela doesn’t like to worry for no reason, but when U.S. President Donald Trump first announced potential tariffs on Canadian products in November, Grzela said he got “sucked into the vacuum of panic.” 

“Initially it was like I was panicking, barely slept,” Grzela said. “I wasn’t alone in that. A lot of other business owners were going like, ‘Oh my God.’ You know, spiralling.” 

These days, Grzela said he’s panicking less and being more proactive about how possible tariffs will affect his hot tub business in Orléans. Right now, he said he’s calling suppliers and seeing what he can do to get Canadian products. 

On Monday, Trump announced the U.S. will go forward next week with a 25 per cent tariff on most imports from Canada, though he later specifiedhe …