The breakdown in trade talks between Canada and the United States has businesses, workers and governments bracing for the impact of new tariffs. University of Windsor political science professor Lydia Miljan says newly imposed 50 per cent tariffs will be felt across the country, particularly in provinces like Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia that rely heavily on trade with the U.S. Speaking on AM800’s Live and Local with guest host Kristen Siapas, Miljan says the economic pain won’t stop at the border. “There’s the economic side of things that, you know, it’s not going to look good, and it’s inflationary,” she said. “This idea that we’re going to hit them hard, dollar for dollar, means that goods are going to become more expensive in Canada as well as in the United States.” While Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised Canada will match American tariffs dollar-for-dollar, Miljan says Canadians appear to support a tough stance in the dispute, at least for now. She says many Canadians would rather see Ottawa hold firm than accept a deal viewed as unfavourable. “What really matters right now is that Canadians are solidly behind the prime minister,” Miljan said. “I mean, I was looking at my socials this morning, and even across party lines, people are saying, ‘No, we’ve got to stay strong. We’ve got to fight back.’” Miljan warns support for the federal government’s hard line could fade if tariffs lead to job losses and higher prices. She says while Ottawa has promised more help for workers and businesses, government support can only go so far if the trade dispute drags on. “Certainly in the short term, the government can give supports to industries. Basically you’re boosting up E.I. payments and nobody wants that. We want jobs, we want to have our livelihood, but that all goes towards increasing our debt. And we don’t want to be spending more money on debt servicing charges than we do on our social safety net, which is really the situation right now,” she said. Miljan adds that long-term solutions will depend on maintaining jobs, building more projects in Canada and eventually finding a path back to stable trade relations with the United States.
