I didn’t drink wine until late in my 30s. I didn’t like the taste. Even now, I only drink cheap and simple California wine. It’s the sweet taste of the sun for my unsophisticated palate. So, when Trump announced tariffs on Canadian products and Canada retaliated in kind, I feared saying goodbye to my Apothic Red.
When I grew up in the 80s, Canadian patriotism was normal. Canadians were the NHL players of the economy. Canadian companies were original, and they were competitive. But when NAFTA came in, everything changed. Today, Trump’s tariffs are making me dust off the cobwebs off my Canadian-ness. And I have to admit, I kind of like it. It’s been a long time since we’ve had to face off with the Americans. Plus, I publish local news and I support buying local.
I thought local business folks would be in some of kind of despair. Economists are saying that, if these tariffs take hold and stay there, we’re in for a recession. At Sunlong Natural Market, a small but popular fruit and veggie shop in Fairbank Village, Lindy, who’s worked at the register for years, told me that if fruits and veggies from the US get tariffs, then yes, store prices will go up. But prices will go up at the big stores too, and everywhere else.
Over at the newly opened Shelíss Bakeshop Café on St. Clair, owner, Stephy Morales, said she buys her coffee directly from Peru, so Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on US-sold coffee won’t affect her. She said that if there are tariffs on other products like her cream cheese for example, she’ll just go local. Lastly, I asked Beau at Acappella Clothing on St.Clair if tariffs on US apparel would affect his shop. Nope. His fabrics are Canadian or European.
These local businesses aren’t sweating Trump. Like one American client at Acappella told me, “Trump’s a businessperson. He’s just trying to get a deal. His bark is bigger than his bite. He can change his mind anytime.”
The American has a point. All we’ve seen up to now is words. Threats of tariffs starting on Tuesday. By Sunday, Doug Ford added his own words of retaliation, announcing a ban on American beer and wine at the LCBO.
I guess it’s goodbye to my California friend, Apothic Red.
