As talks continue, many industry experts are expecting a deal ahead of the threatened 50 per cent U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods set to take effect on Wednesday. The tariffs are estimated to affect $28 billion in Canadian goods, and impact a wide range of sectors from Canadian alcohol to wood to dairy. Ron Marcolin, divisional vice president of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, said the situation is “unsettling” but he’s expecting the federal government to negotiate a deal. “We have a lot of moving parts. We have a lot of various commodities. We will have ultimately some form of tariff, we just don’t know to what level,” he said. But he said the cost of U.S. tariffs will likely be passed on to consumers both south and north of the border. “The bottom line is the average New Brunswick and Atlantic Canadian will ultimately have to pay the price,” he said. Stuart Trew, a senior researcher for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said he’s also expecting a deal, but it could be at the expense of the dairy industry. “We kind of have the contours of a deal shaping up. So far, it looks like United States wants to change how Canada regulates dairy imports into Canada. That’s going to have a big effect on the Atlantic provinces, where there are a substantial number of Canadian dairy farmers and producers,” he said. But University of Guelph food economist Mike von Massow said while workers in the auto and electronics industries may face layoffs, most Canadian consumers won’t see higher grocery or dairy costs as a result of the tariffs. “If anything, the prices might go down a bit in Canada, but I don’t expect to see any significant impact at all,” he said. Fredericton resident Candace Russell said she’s doing what she can to support local, including changing the makeup she wears and the food she eats. “I feel that Canada should not bend. I think that I’m pro-Canada. I’m buying as much Canadian product as I can,” she said. That sentiment is shared by Vancouver resident Tammy Ingils. She chose to travel to the Maritimes for her summer vacation to avoid travelling to the U.S. Inglis works at a manufacturing company and said they’re already seeing the impact of the tariff uncertainty. “Things that used to cost $50 a kilo are now up to $700 a kilo, and it’s affecting a lot of industries,” she said.
