ST. PAUL, Minnesota (WCCO) -- Moviegoers and fans of Greek mythology likely don’t think of a Trojan as the one who must go on a long journey to get home, forced to overcome unexpected obstacles. But this isn’t “The Odyssey.” This is the story of a group of parents who are rushing to get a Trojan mascot across the Canadian-American border by the end of the week to avoid tariffs, not a mythical monster. It all started, Sarah Kallal said, when she fell in love with “Mudonna,” the mascot for the St. Paul Saints. Kallal and other community members agreed that the New Prague Trojans needed a mascot too, and they spared no expense going after a “professional-grade” costume for their hometown Trojan. Kallal said she worked with other parents and the Forward New Prague Foundation to raise $14,000 for the mascot costume. But on Monday, Kallal said she got a phone call from the costume company explaining that they needed an extra $7,000. “Honestly, I kind of thought the dream died,” Kallal said. “I’m not going to absorb that cost and I’m certainly not going to go back to our community to say, ‘Oh, by the way, can I get seven more thousand dollars?’” She was floored to learn that President Trump’s proposal to place a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian imports was to blame. She never expected that kind of economic policy to hit home so directly in a smaller community like New Prague. “It brings awareness to how it’s not going to just affect corporations and government,” Kallal said. Trump announced an indirect lifeline for Kallal this week, delaying the tariffs for at least three days while American and Canadian officials come back to the negotiating table. “So of course they’re in scramble mode in Canada. I am just praying, praying, praying that they will be able to ship it out,” Kallal said. The 50 per cent tariffs would affect US$20 billion worth of Canadian products, ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors. But the political impact would likely have been bigger than the economic one. Canada had threatened to retaliate against any new tariffs with levies of its own, aggravating a trade fight between countries that sold each other $880 billion worth of goods and services last year. In announcing the tariffs last month, the White House accused Canada of taking “unreasonable, unequal and discriminatory actions” by imposing tariffs or import restrictions on certain American goods, including measures introduced after Trump’s initial round of tariffs on Canada last year. Both countries had reason to step back from the brink. Nearly 72 per cent of Canada’s goods exports last year went to the United States. The Trump administration would be taking a risk by imposing a hefty new tariff — paid by U.S. importers who try to pass along the cost to consumers via higher prices — ahead of November’s midterm elections. U.S. voters are already frustrated with the high cost of living.
