Survival in the face of tariffs top of mind for Waterloo region voters as federal election gets underway [Video]

For Karen Bramble of Waterloo, Ont., the trade war that the United States started with Canada is personal.

“We need to spew the truth over and over and over again until everybody understands this economic war is [going to] affect everybody,” she said.

Bramble is an interior stylist who sells wellness products and dried floral arrangements twice a week at the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market. She hopes the tariffs will also be an important issue for candidates running this federal election.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump slapped a 25 per cent tariff on virtually all Canadian goods. In retaliation, Ottawa imposed 25 per cent counter-tariffs on $30 billion worth of American goods. 

With some Canadian goods already subject to U.S. tariffs and the threat of more being added to the list on April 2, Bramble is feeling a direct impact on her business because she sources eucalyptus from California. It’s a big part of …