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Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Posthaste: The hidden costs of the ‘Buy Canadian' movement
Many Canadians are choosing to buy domestic products to support their country, but some are finding their patriotism is coming at a growing cost. That's because local purchases aren't necessarily cheaper. Since United States President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian imports, Canadians have chosen to fight back by buying products made in Canada and shunning U.S. options. Some provinces have banned U.S. alcohol sales and the overall shift in buying trends has prompted some grocery chains to indicate which items are Canadian and which are tariffed. But are these changes in behaviour actually helping Canadians in their wallets? When it comes to food, many Canadian options are cheaper than their U.S. counterparts, but are more expensive than the U.S. versions pre-tariffs, according to a report from NerdWallet Canada. 'Canadian-imposed retaliatory tariffs mean you'll pay more for American produce, dairy products, coffee, liquor, toiletries, furniture and more,' the report states. 'Tariff-free Canadian alternatives may save you, but only on tariff costs.' Alcohol is a category in which Canadians seem to be saving money, but the growing trend of cutting back on booze may be the bigger factor. Sales of U.S. spirits fell 66 per cent in the first two months after several provinces banning them as push-back on tariffs, but sales of Canadian and international products also fell, signalling a drop in alcohol sales all together, according to data from Spirits Canada. Many Canadians are also opting to travel locally this summer instead of heading to the U.S. Air travel from Canada to the U.S. fell 24.2 per cent year-over-year in May, while automobile round trips fell 38.1 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. Last month, a survey from TD Bank reported that 64 per cent of Canadians plan to travel domestically over the summer. 'It's encouraging to hear that Canadians are planning to support local small businesses as part of their vacation plans this summer, as it helps both entrepreneurs and our local economies,' Julia Kelly, vice-president of small business banking at TD Bank, said in the news release. 'It's particularly welcome news, as many of our small business customers have been concerned about consumer spending slowing down.' Still, keeping travel local might not be the most cost effective strategy. Cancelling existing vacations runs the risk of fees and penalties, and travel insurance rarely covers the cost in these scenarios, NerdWallet notes. While the changing spending habits may not be saving money, Americans are taking notice. Earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra called Canadians 'nasty' for the measures. 'Canadians staying home, that's their business, you know. I don't like it, but if that's what they want to do, it's fine. They want to ban American alcohol. That's fine,' Hoekstra said during a conference in Bellevue, Wash. 'There are reasons why the president and some of his team referred to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with, OK, because of some of those steps.' to get Posthaste delivered straight to your Premier Doug Ford is back at it with his 'Buy Canada' message as premiers meet this week for wide-ranging discussions in Huntsville, Ont. Canadians are already planning to ramp up their boycott of U.S. products as deeper tariffs loom, according to the Bank of Canada's quarterly survey of households. 'We're encouraging all provinces and territories: start buying Canadian-made vehicles, start buying Canadian-made everything — that will hurt more than anything at all,' Ford told reporters on Monday. The federal government is sending Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, to Washington this week to negotiate with the U.S. administration. Read more here. Final day of premiers' meeting in Huntsville, Ont. Data: Housing price Index for June, U.S. existing home sales for June Earnings: Alphabet Inc., Tesla Inc., International Business Machines Corp., T-Mobile US Inc., AT&T Inc., Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., Southwest Airlines Co., Rogers Communication Inc. 'All because of Trump:' Stellantis, other automakers report losing billions due to tariffs Canada's personal tax rates need to come down. Here's how to do it Skip to deliver from discount retailers Dollarama as it expands beyond food IKEA Canada cuts restaurant prices in half to help with the rising cost of living If a spouse is written out of a loved one's will, they can still claim some inheritance in some provinces. In Ontario, for example, spouses are entitled to property inheritance as they were sharing the same home, the same as they might receive during a divorce. Find out more here. Are you worried about having enough for retirement? Do you need to adjust your portfolio? Are you starting out or making a change and wondering how to build wealth? Are you trying to make ends meet? Drop us a line at wealth@ with your contact info and the gist of your problem and we'll find some experts to help you out while writing a Family Finance story about it (we'll keep your name out of it, of course). McLister on mortgages Want to learn more about mortgages? Mortgage strategist Robert McLister's Financial Post column can help navigate the complex sector, from the latest trends to financing opportunities you won't want to miss. Plus check his mortgage rate page for Canada's lowest national mortgage rates, updated daily. Financial Post on YouTube Visit the Financial Post's YouTube channel for interviews with Canada's leading experts in business, economics, housing, the energy sector and more. Today's Posthaste was written by Ben Cousins with additional reporting from Financial Post staff, The Canadian Press and Bloomberg. Have a story idea, pitch, embargoed report, or a suggestion for this newsletter? Email us at posthaste@ 'Buy Canadian' is going strong except in one very important marketplace Food manufacturers take drastic measures to fight U.S. tariffs
Global News
22-07-2025
- Business
- Global News
U.S. liquor sales have dried up in Canada amid trade war, industry says
The U.S. spirits industry is reporting a big drop in sales in Canada after multiple provinces pulled liquor off shelves and Canadians turned to buying more goods at home in response to the trade war. A joint press release by Spirits Canada and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States shows that from March 5 until April 30, sales of U.S. spirits in Canada fell by 66.3 per cent compared with the same period last year. Multiple provinces pulled American alcohol off the shelves on March 5 in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and his talk of annexing Canada. From March 5 until the end of April, Canadian spirits sales also declined, but at a lower rate of 6.3 per cent. Other imported spirits declined by 8.2 per cent. The two groups said total spirit sales in Canada dropped 12.3 per cent during the same period. Story continues below advertisement 'The North American spirits sector is highly interconnected, and the immediate and continued removal of all U.S. spirits products from Canadian shelves is deeply problematic for spirits producers on both sides of the border,' said Cal Bricker, president and CEO of Spirits Canada. 'The current disruption demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining open, reciprocal trade relationships that benefit consumers, businesses and government revenues in both nations.' Some American makers criticized the decision by the provinces to pull U.S. liquor off shelves at the time, with Jack Daniel's maker Brown Forman's CEO Lawson Whiting calling the move 'worse than a tariff.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I mean, that's worse than a tariff, because it's literally taking your sales away, (and) completely removing our products from the shelves,' he said on a post-earnings call. 1:56 Cautious optimism after inter-provincial alcohol trade announcement According to Spirits Canada and the Distilled Spirits Council, total spirits fell sharply by 20 per cent year over year in March. Story continues below advertisement Canadian spirits sales increased 3.6 per cent in April, with other imported spirits up 3.7 per cent, but the gains didn't compensate for the losses from U.S. removal. Compared with last year, overall spirit sales remained down 3.3 per cent in April, a decline of $13.9 million. Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council, said in the joint release that U.S. liquor should be back on Canadian shelves and that the move is 'needlessly reducing revenues for the provinces and hurting Canadian consumers and hospitality businesses.' 'Mean and nasty' — or doubling down? Months into the trade war, Canadians seem to show no signs of letting up on avoiding U.S. goods and travel — in fact, numbers have grown. Ipsos polling conducted exclusively for Global News and released in time for Canada Day showed that 72 per cent of Canadians are avoiding U.S.-made goods. Story continues below advertisement The polling also showed that 77 per cent of respondents think less of the U.S. as a country because of Trump's attacks on Canada's economy and sovereignty. Trump's ambassador to Canada told a Washington state audience on Monday that the president sees Canadians as 'mean and nasty' for refusing to travel to the U.S. and pulling American alcohol. 'That's their business — I don't like it, but if that's what they want to do, that's fine. They want to ban American alcohol; that's fine. It doesn't necessarily send real positive signals in terms of their treating us well,' Pete Hoekstra told the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region Foundation. 'There are reasons why the president and some of his team refer to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with, OK, because of some of those steps.' Hoekstra went on to say he has no problem getting U.S. liquor into Canada, as border officers don't check his vehicle when he crosses the border. British Columbia Premier David Eby, in response to Hoekstra's comments, urged his province's residents to double down on their efforts to buy and travel within Canada.
Vancouver Sun
22-07-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Sales of U.S. spirits in Canada plunge 66%, industry groups say
The spirits industry says Canada's response to the U.S.-instigated trade war has led to sharply lower sales of booze from the U.S., as well as lower sales overall. In a joint release, Spirits Canada and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States says U.S. hard alcohol sales dropped 66 per cent in the March 5 to April 31 period compared with a year earlier. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. It says that sales of Canadian and imported spirits were also down, leading to a 12.8 per cent total decline in spirit sales for the nearly two-month stretch compared with last year. The statistics come as several Canadian premiers stand firm on buy Canadian, and push back against comments made by U.S. ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra who told a conference Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump thinks Canada is 'nasty' to deal with, in part because of bans on American alcohol. Several provinces removed U.S. alcohol from shelves as Trump imposed tariffs and threatened to annex Canada, helping lead to the sharp drop in sales from the country. B.C. Premier David Eby said Hoekstra's remarks show Canadians' efforts to stand up to Trump are 'having an impact,' and he encouraged people to 'keep it up.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
22-07-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Sales of U.S. spirits in Canada plunge 66%, industry groups say
Article content The spirits industry says Canada's response to the U.S.-instigated trade war has led to sharply lower sales of booze from the U.S., as well as lower sales overall. Article content In a joint release, Spirits Canada and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States says U.S. hard alcohol sales dropped 66 per cent in the March 5 to April 31 period compared with a year earlier. Article content Article content It says that sales of Canadian and imported spirits were also down, leading to a 12.8 per cent total decline in spirit sales for the nearly two-month stretch compared with last year. Article content The statistics come as several Canadian premiers stand firm on buy Canadian, and push back against comments made by U.S. ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra who told a conference Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump thinks Canada is 'nasty' to deal with, in part because of bans on American alcohol. Article content Several provinces removed U.S. alcohol from shelves as Trump imposed tariffs and threatened to annex Canada, helping lead to the sharp drop in sales from the country. Article content Article content B.C. Premier David Eby said Hoekstra's remarks show Canadians' efforts to stand up to Trump are 'having an impact,' and he encouraged people to 'keep it up.' Article content
National Post
22-07-2025
- Business
- National Post
Sales of U.S. spirits in Canada plunge 66%, industry groups say
The spirits industry says Canada's response to the U.S.-instigated trade war has led to sharply lower sales of booze from the U.S., as well as lower sales overall. Article content In a joint release, Spirits Canada and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States says U.S. hard alcohol sales dropped 66 per cent in the March 5 to April 31 period compared with a year earlier. Article content Article content It says that sales of Canadian and imported spirits were also down, leading to a 12.8 per cent total decline in spirit sales for the nearly two-month stretch compared with last year. Article content The statistics come as several Canadian premiers stand firm on buy Canadian, and push back against comments made by U.S. ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra who told a conference Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump thinks Canada is 'nasty' to deal with, in part because of bans on American alcohol. Article content Article content B.C. Premier David Eby said Hoekstra's remarks show Canadians' efforts to stand up to Trump are 'having an impact,' and he encouraged people to 'keep it up.' Article content
