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🇸🇬 Singapore /Economy & Trade

US trade tensions fuel Canadian patriotism as shoppers shun American goods

From CNA · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Ongoing story
  • Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada remains ready to negotiate with the United States, but any deal must offer stability, credibility and benefits for both countries.
  • Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on about US$20 billion in annual US imports are due to take effect next week, after matching US tariffs on Canadian goods.
  • The dispute has fueled patriotic sentiment in Canada, with shoppers checking labels and some refusing to buy US products.

At a supermarket in Windsor, maple leaves now identify products made in Canada as shoppers respond to the growing trade dispute with the United States. Employee Stacy Drouillard said the store was trying to source as many local and Canadian products as possible, while some customers questioned where goods came from and refused American items.

Canada and the US are great friends and have been working together for such a long time

· Unnamed Canadian residentThe resident expressed disappointment over the deterioration in bilateral relations.

The shift in shopping habits reflects a broader rise in Canadian patriotism. Former diplomat Colin Robertson said US President Donald Trump had “galvanised Canadian opinion, in a fierce sense of patriotism right across the country”. He said Canadians who had never been flag-wavers were now displaying flags in a way he compared with the United States after the Sept. 11 attacks.

There's not enough adjectives to describe the anger I feel towards our dear leader who has caused unnecessary pain in both of our countries

· Unnamed American residentThe American speaker criticized the effect of the trade dispute.

The tensions have not ended the prospect of negotiations. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada was ready to return to the negotiating table, but insisted that any new agreement must provide stability, credibility and benefits for both countries. He rejected claims by US cabinet members that domestic political considerations had led him to abandon a deal, and suggested the US position had recently softened.

Donald Trump is unique in the sense that he has galvanised Canadian opinion, in a fierce sense of patriotism right across the country

· Colin RobertsonThe former diplomat described the rise in Canadian patriotism.

Canada announced retaliatory tariffs last week on about US$20 billion worth of annual US imports. The measures are due to begin next week, matching tariffs imposed by Washington on Canadian products. Canadians interviewed in Windsor said the dispute had affected how they viewed their longtime neighbour. Chad Smith said he checked every label to avoid American goods, asking, “How can you not take it personally?” Sarah Boca said crossing into the United States no longer felt as friendly. Observers questioned whether the damage to relations could last longer than the trade dispute itself.

How can you not take it personally?

· Chad SmithThe Canadian shopper explained why he was avoiding US products.
About this summary

Originally published by CNA in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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