Close X
    Friday, November 8, 2024
    ADVT 
    National

    #BuyCanadian: Pocketbook Patriotism Takes Off Amid U.S. Trade Tensions

    Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 14 Jun, 2018 11:42 AM
      Social media users are pledging to #BuyCanadian amid a simmering trade standoff with the U.S., but experts say pocketbook patriotism may have unintended consequences on both sides of the border.
       
       
      Bonnie Hallman of Winnipeg says she cancelled a long-desired trip to Alaska shortly after President Donald Trump took aim at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for pushing back against American tariffs on steel and aluminum.
       
       
      The 53-year-old says she's now booked to visit P.E.I. next summer because she would rather spend her dollars towards supporting Canadian tourism.
       
       
      Scott Chamberlain, a father of four in Ottawa, says he's been trying to fill his grocery cart with mostly homegrown goods to bolster the Canadian producers who could be hardest hit by cross-border friction over trade.
       
       
      Robert Wolfe, a professor emeritus at Queen's University's School of Policy Studies, says the #BuyCanadian movement could fan the flames of a trade war in which no side would prevail unscathed.
       
       
      He says the mirror of 'buy Canadian' is 'buy American,' which could have a detrimental impact on Canadian companies trading in the U.S. market.
       
       
      "If it starts to escalate the Canada-U.S. tensions so that Americans begin to think we're actually just mad at them, as opposed to mad at their president, that could be difficult for Canada-U.S. relations, and ultimately, not good for the economy."
       
       
      Food economist Mike von Massow of the University of Guelph says a show of Canadian fiscal solidarity may buttress the country's position in trade negotiations, but swearing off American-made products is easier said than done.
       
       
      An online poll conducted by Abacus Data between June 1 to 6 — after Trump said he would impose tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel but before trade tensions erupted at last week's G7 summit in Quebec — found that more than half of 2,200 Canadian surveyed reported that they intend to avoid buying U.S. wines and cross-border shopping.
       
       
      The polling industry's professional body, the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.
      Prev Next

      MORE National ARTICLES

      Niagara Falls A Winter Wonderland That Draws Tourists During Frigid Weather

      Niagara Falls A Winter Wonderland That Draws Tourists During Frigid Weather
      Diane Zhao has made the journey from China to Niagara Falls three times before, but she has never seen it like this — a veritable ice palace, straight out of a fairy tale.

      Niagara Falls A Winter Wonderland That Draws Tourists During Frigid Weather

      'Sounds More Like North Korea Than Canada,' Says Artist Behind Stalled Subway Art

      'Sounds More Like North Korea Than Canada,' Says Artist Behind Stalled Subway Art
      Two artists behind a controversial art installation commissioned for a newly opened subway station in Toronto say the city's refusal to greenlight the project has ironically achieved what the art was meant to do — spark a debate about free speech.

      'Sounds More Like North Korea Than Canada,' Says Artist Behind Stalled Subway Art

      Police Officer In London, Ont., London, Ont., Apologizes For Wearing Blackface

      Police Officer In London, Ont., London, Ont., Apologizes For Wearing Blackface
      LONDON, Ont. — A police officer in London, Ont., is apologizing for wearing blackface as part of a Halloween costume and will undergo cultural sensitivity training.

      Police Officer In London, Ont., London, Ont., Apologizes For Wearing Blackface

      Women Accusing Theatre Star Albert Schultz Of Sex Assault Speak Out

      Women Accusing Theatre Star Albert Schultz Of Sex Assault Speak Out
      The allegations have not been proven in court. Schultz says he plans to defend himself against the claims and Soulpepper's board of directors says it has instructed him to step down as it conducts an investigation.

      Women Accusing Theatre Star Albert Schultz Of Sex Assault Speak Out

      More Than Two Million Vehicles Sold In Canada For First Time In 2017

      More Than Two Million Vehicles Sold In Canada For First Time In 2017
      DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. said new vehicles sold in 2017 hit a high for a fifth consecutive year.

      More Than Two Million Vehicles Sold In Canada For First Time In 2017

      Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne Calls Tim Hortons Heir 'A Bully' In Wake Of Wage Actions

      Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne Calls Tim Hortons Heir 'A Bully' In Wake Of Wage Actions
      The premier of Ontario is accusing the children of Tim Hortons' billionaire co-founder of bullying their employees by reducing their benefits in response to the province's increased minimum wage.

      Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne Calls Tim Hortons Heir 'A Bully' In Wake Of Wage Actions

      PrevNext