Businesses in Glengarry are considering their options as the possibility of American tariffs loom with the return of Donald Trump to the White House later this month.
Businesses can’t make formal plans to deal with the tariffs, but are notifying customers of the potential increase in costs, evaluating different directions for the sale of products and keeping in mind that US customers might persuade their own government to lower the tariffs to a more reasonable amount since they don’t want to pay higher prices for imported Canadian products.
Glengarry Fine Cheese, in Lancaster, is an award-winning cheese maker, started by Margaret Peters Morris 25 years ago, producing specialty European-style aged cheeses. Glengarry Cheesemaking Supply offers specialized equipment, ingredients and technical support for those who venture into farmstead and artisan cheesemaking themselves. Both aspects of the cheesemaking enterprise have world-wide business sales, with a diverse, broad base of products that allows the company to continue to grow.
Peters Morris has advised her US customers that any tariffs would be directly reflected in the price of Glengarry Cheesemaking products. She has also suggested US clients investigate the possibility of duty drawbacks, whereby duties paid on imported products could be refunded should the imported good be exported as a finished product later.
The reality that the United States needs certain Canadian products provides some relief for businesses. For instance, Canada is the fourth-largest exporter of natural gas and propane.
P38 Energy, with a branch in Long Sault, is also in a wait-and-see position. Guy Marchand, president of P38 Energy/Budget Propane, stated his company looks to see what the potential US tariffs might apply to, and how high the tariffs could be.
Should the tariffs be too high, P38 can pivot and focus its exports on Asian markets.
With the January 20 date for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump approaching at a quick pace, Canadian businesses and residents are watching with keen interest the efforts our government is making to avert the possibility of large tariffs taking a lethal bite out of Canadian exports.
Peters Morris says the Canadian government needs to better understand who the American people are and, with this being Donald Trump’s second time in office, he intends to get his agenda accomplished. “The government of Canada needs to take this seriously,” said Margaret. “It needs to keep trying to put a huge effort into being fiscally responsible, promoting Canada and staying focused on what the country needs.”
