The CEO of the Lethbridge and District Chamber of Commerce says people are taxed out and adding more in the form of tariffs isn’t good for communities on either side of the border.
Cyndi Crane says the tariffs going into place will mean an increase in the cost of living on both sides of the border, which is not good for the price of groceries, gas, or housing. She says some think this could be a worse financial situation than COVID. One of the biggest differences, she says, is businesses are not closed and there is no widespread shutdown.
“Our day-to-day business is open, but where it’s going to be really felt and seen is on the shelves,” Crane says. “During COVID, we didn’t have as many choices. We have to go back to remembering that we might not have as many choices on the shelves for what we need because the cost is just going to be too high.”
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Last month, when U.S. President Donald Trump put a 30-day pause in place on threatened tariffs, a Shop Canadian movement sparked locally and across the country. Crane said even with that mindset, shoppers need to remember every product purchased helps shops restock the next item.
“If things are lying dormant on their shelves, that isn’t going to help the stores restock to alternative items. So there’s going to be some of those items that, you know, let’s get them, let’s buy them so we can get Canadian products on those shelves.”
“We just got out of COVID… Business is used to riding that wave. We got a big one that’s just crashed down on us today. So we need to catch our breath. But entrepreneurs are strong. The province is strong.”
Crane says conversations are happening at all levels on how to navigate the trade war.
