Small border business in Porthill struggles due to tariffs | News [Video]

PORTHILL, Idaho — A small border business in North Idaho is feeling the severe economic impact of recently implemented Canadian tariffs, threatening its survival after already weathering significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A 25% hike on what they would take back is certainly a deterrent,” said Lars Jacobsen, owner of Jake’s Landing.

According to Jacobsen, 99% of his customers used to come from Canada for cheaper gas, dairy products, beer, and more affordable shipping costs for packages. Now, with new Canadian tariffs in place, Jake’s Landing’s customer base has shrunk by about 80%.

“This business can’t be supported by just the local community, because the local community is very small,” Jacobsen explained.

The impact has been immediate and severe. “Yesterday, we had seven customers come for packages. Normally this time of year, we would be seeing well over 50, maybe 60 per day,” said Jacobsen.

Changes to gas pricing …