Eastern Ontario braces for impact of U.S. tariffs

The White House has confirmed across-the-board tariffs on Canada starting Tuesday. CTV’s Natalie van Rooy has the latest on how Ottawa is reacting.

With U.S. president Donald Trump slapping tariffs on Canadian goods, eastern Ontario businesses and residents are bracing for impact.

At the Ottawa airport on Saturday, many travellers said they will be changing their travel habits.

“I am disappointed, and I do spend a lot of time there, but this year is counted out until I find out what’s really happening over there,” said Barbara Lakey.

Traveller Debbie Webster added, “I’ve gone (to the United States), but with the dollar the way it is – no."

President Donald Trump’s major trade action takes effect Tuesday. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says the 25 per cent tariff could shrink the country’s GDP by 2.6 per cent and cost households an average of $1,900 annually.

“We’re going to Florida,” said Tyler Wade, who was travelling to the U.S. on Saturday. “The Canadian dollar’s not the greatest right now so that’s going to hurt when we get down there, but just got to have some fun.”

Travellers were not enthusiastic about the prospect of tariffs.

“Obviously it doesn’t seem fair, and it seems a bit like a scare tactic,” said Robin Pinkerton, who was also travelling down south on Saturday. “It’s going to affect like small and large businesses as well as in the states and the consumer in both countries.”

Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford spoke Saturday morning, calling on all Canadian leaders to band together to fight back and protect the nation’s economic interests. Ford says Canada is stronger than Trump knows and will not be broken by his tariffs.

Paul Shields, the owner of Glebe Trotters in Ottawa, says he’s still waiting to see how the tariff’s impact all pans out.

“I don’t think it’s going to affect me a lot, I have one line from the United States,” said Paul Shields. “But I would say in this this month of January, I don’t feel we had the same amount of going south crowd. So, if that’s trickle down, it’s a sort of a domino effect.”

Shields says he’s also hearing from consumers that want to support local more than ever.

“I think Canadians have kind of rallied a bit,” he said. “They’re looking for stuff made in Canada. There’s no doubt about it. I hear it all the time.”

Canadian officials say Trumps tariffs will raise prices for consumers on both sides of the border.