A 50 per cent levy on a long list of items from honey to hockey sticks, wood, wigs, and wine, heading into the American market from Canada is now in effect. “Our data shows us, across the country that businesses that are exporting, 40 per cent of them said they had products that would be affected by these 50 per cent tariffs,” says Louis-Philippe Gauthier, the Atlantic vice president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Gauthier says optimism dipped following last year’s tariffs, but entrepreneurs adapted. This time around however, making ends meet could be more difficult. “For the businesses that are going to be affected, it will essentially mean for some of them that they will be completely uncompetitive. They simply won’t be able to bring their product to market. Despite alcohol being one of the tariff targets, an official with the Nova Scotia wine industry says they don’t think local vineyards are in the crosshairs. “Our wine industry, we don’t really export to the us, it would be very, very small,” says the executive director of Wine Growers Nova Scotia, Melissa Herbin. She wants to continue to grow the domestic market. “I think it’s just a really good opportunity with everything that’s going on to really keep purchasing local and we’re seeing that here at home,” Herbin says. Direct to consumers agreements amongst most provinces coupled with the removal of American alcohol from store shelves has boosted sales of Nova Scotia wines by 14 per cent, according to the CEO of Grand Pré Wines Beatrice Stutz. “Canadian consumers have discovered Canadian wine in a different way over the last year,” Stutz says. “The fact that we are allowed to promote our products in other markets, people are reaching out to us and saying, ‘Hey, we see that you can now ship to us, so we would like to have our product.’” Other industries aren’t as fortunate and that’s why many, including Louis-Philippe Gauthier, are calling for relief packages to help them keep their doors open. That’s because business owners will soon have another levy to consider when Canada’s dollar-for-dollar counter tariffs come into effect Sept. 8. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
