Bookstores in Alberta and across Canada say retaliatory tariffs on books could spell trouble for businesses and readers.
Books are on the list of items set to be tariffed by the federal government on April 2.
A large portion of books for sale in Canada are printed in the United States.
Many Canadian others rely on American publishers to distribute their books.
If tariffs go ahead, it could have a devastating impact on Canadian bookstores.
Consumers, too, would see a price increase on their book purchases.
“Canadian authors, a lot of their books are actually printed in the U.S.,” said Penny Warris, Analog Books co-owner.
“We do have a lot of local, Canadian printers, but obviously, they can’t absorb all of the books that are printed for Canadian authors.”
The Canadian Independent Booksellers Association and Indigo have co-written a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, asking him to reconsider the tariff on books.
