Hugsy’s Place is a unique local business located in Martensville, Sask. The owner, Kelvin Fellner says the American snack and goods store has been a passion of his since he was young. However, the most recent round of tariffs imposed by the United States has been deeply concerning for the local business owner. “I said ‘it’s a hoax, I cannot see this happening’. And then all of a sudden, turning on the news, following all that it’s going to happen in 28 days does not give us the time. My jaw dropped when I saw that and it upset me,” Fellner said. For about a year, Fellner’s business has been feeling the impacts of the various tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. However, this most recent 50 per cent tariff set to take effect in less than a month has created a lot of pressure for the business. “It’s been a struggle. Last year when they did the tariffs of 25 per cent, it was awful for us. If they never lifted the tariffs like they did, I don’t know if we would have been able to keep going. Now with the talk of 50 per cent tariff, I don’t know what our future will hold here,” Fellner said. The uncertainty is causing a lot of stress for Fellner, and other business owners impacted by the tariffs. The Hugsy’s Place owner adds that he is putting a lot of faith in policymakers at the moment. “I can’t go down to Washington and sit down and say, ‘hey man, you’re killing our business’. It ain’t going to happen. So I’m just hoping that our leaders are going to work together and rectify this problem very quick for us,” Fellner said. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe spoke to media Wednesday, emphasizing that he believes the path forward lies in a renewed and reviewed Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on Free Trade (CUSMA). “I am bullish that we will be able to find that in the near term. However, I’m not entirely confident that we will. So all we can do is to make every effort, myself as a subnational leader, to support our federal government and support those that are sitting at that bargaining table so that we can support that negotiating team in coming to that agreement as soon as possible,” Moe said. Devan Mescall, a professor at the Edwards School of Business explains that while Trump has threatened tariffs in the past that have not come to fruition, that does not mitigate the potential negative impacts that this particular round of tariffs could have. “On one hand, this could just be a negotiation tactic for the Canada- U.S.- Mexico agreement that’s being negotiated right now. There’s also the legal avenue of whether it would hold up. So there are uncertainties about whether this will come to fruition. But if it does, it could have a major impact because unlike some of the other tariffs where we had some protection under the Canada- U.S.-Mexico agreement, this one is outside of that,” Mescall said. For Fellner, keeping up with both the Canadian- and U.S.-dollar exchange rate and frequently changing tariffs has made it nearly impossible to keep his products at a price that would still attract customers. “The dollar has gone crazy right now too. For instance, a case of soda pop right now is roughly $10 American time. We do the math with our 50 per cent, we’re going to have to charge upwards of $48, and no one will buy that,” Fellner said. The future is uncertain for Hugsy’s Place. Fellner says it has been difficult to be a local business selling American goods. “We’re born and raised in Canada. We employ our local students in town that work for us, and we do lots for the community. Yes, we bring American products. Yes, we sell all American stuff. We’re asking for the support because we are still a small local business in Canada,” Fellner said. He adds that if the 50 per cent tariffs go into effect, he is not confident that his business will survive more than two months longer. “It’s been a struggle the last year... but we have put my heart and soul into this little business. And I don’t want to see it taken away. This is this is my income. This is what I do. It’s something that I’ve had a dream of. I love doing it, but I’m not sure what the future’s going to hold if this comes into effect,” Fellner said.
