Late in August last year, Julia Hallman and her spouse embarked on a road trip from their residence in Massachusetts to visit one of their Canadian suppliers at Fromagerie La Station in Quebec. Hallman enjoyed the serene view of grazing cows at the farmstead in Compton, which would later provide the milk for one of her shop’s top-selling cheeses, the supple Alfred le Fermier. She is committed to continuing to purchase this cheese for her shop not only because it is popular among customers but also because she considers the family behind it as friends.
Hallman, the owner of Formaggio Kitchen, a specialty cheese and artisan goods store in Cambridge, expressed her desire to support her Canadian friends and ensure they receive more financial support. However, like numerous business owners in both Canada and the U.S., she is anxiously awaiting news on whether the Trump administration will implement substantial new tariffs on a wide range of Canadian products on Wednesday. Business owners in the U.S. fear that sustained 50 percent tariffs would compel them to make difficult decisions, potentially severing long-standing, mutually beneficial relationships with Canadian suppliers due to financial constraints.
Imported items, including cheeses, chocolates, spices, and spreads, constitute approximately half of the inventory at Formaggio Kitchen, with Canadian products making up about 15 percent of these goods. Hallman has dealt with tariffs on Canadian dairy before by either reducing profits, increasing prices for customers, or a combination of both. While she hopes to continue operating in the same manner, she believes that a 50 percent tariff rate would eventually become unmanageable for her business.
Similarly, Sarah Paxton, co-owner of a contemporary furniture store in Richmond, Va., named LaDIFF, expressed concerns about the potential impact of the new tariffs. Paxton has been working with suppliers from Ontario and Quebec for many years, and she worries that a 50 percent tariff would force her to seek alternative suppliers. Although some suppliers have offered to cover the tariff costs temporarily, Paxton believes that sustaining these additional fees in the long term would be challenging.
The impending U.S. tariffs, set to affect $28 billion worth of Canadian goods, have raised anxieties among Canadian entrepreneurs who fear a significant reduction in profits if American buyers, such as Hallman and Paxton, are forced to look elsewhere for their supplies. As negotiations between Canada and the U.S. continued, Prime Minister Mark Carney engaged in discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the ongoing trade talks.
With uncertainty looming, Hallman took proactive measures by stocking her shop’s basement “cheese cave” with non-perishable items before the tariff deadline. She emphasized that the cost of tariffs is not just a financial burden but also an emotional one, as it could disrupt the intentional importation of products that she and her customers value.
As the deadline approached, Hallman reflected on the situation, stating, “We’re pretty stubborn. We bring these products in intentionally. We bring them in because we love them. We don’t want somebody to say, essentially, that we can’t import them. That’s what they’re doing by putting a tariff that egregious [in place].” The impact of tariffs, she concluded, sends a clear and resounding message.