Pickleballers in B.C. are serving up frustration as their equipment has been swept up in the growing cross-border trade war between the U.S. and Canada.
The sport of pickleball has been growing in Canada for years, with Pickleball Canada reporting a 25 per cent increase in registered members from 2023 to 2024.
The game combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. The main piece of equipment is the paddle — mainly from U.S. brands — that players use to hit the ball across the net.
But paddles made in the U.S. are now subject to a 25 per cent tariff that Canada imposed on March 13 in response to U.S. tariffs on many Canadian imports.
A pickleball equipment seller in B.C. says it’s looking to import directly from China to counter the …