Close-up of ‘Shop Canadian’ poster displayed in a local storefront in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on April 4, 2025.
Artur Widak | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Just across the U.S.-Canada border, some small businesses are taking tariffs personally.
President Donald Trump has said his wide-sweeping tariffs, even on some of the country’s closest trade partners, will rebalance international trade and bring manufacturing back stateside. But for the U.S.’s northern neighbors, tariffs may mean an erosion of trust.
The country’s trade relationship with Canada has historically been integral to both national economies. In 2024, the trade of goods between both nations totaled $762.1 billion. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, Canada exported over three-quarters of its goods to the U.S. last year, and U.S. imports accounted for almost half of all goods it brought in.
Starting in March, however, the Trump administration implemented a 10% tariff on Canadian energy and 25% tariffs on other imports from Canada and Mexico, a levy he’d …