Close X
Thursday, October 31, 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.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Police: Case Of 2 Men Missing In B.C. Since May 16 Considered Suspicious

    Police: Case Of 2 Men Missing In B.C. Since May 16 Considered Suspicious
    UCLUELET, B.C. — Police on Vancouver Island say the disappearance of two men who were last seen on May 16 is now considered suspicious and the case has been handed over to the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit.

    Police: Case Of 2 Men Missing In B.C. Since May 16 Considered Suspicious

    Police Capture Opossum That Wasn't Happy To Leave Shower In Delta, B.C. Home

    Police Capture Opossum That Wasn't Happy To Leave Shower In Delta, B.C. Home
    Delta Police Department spokeswoman Cris Leykauf says a surprised resident called police just before midnight last Wednesday.

    Police Capture Opossum That Wasn't Happy To Leave Shower In Delta, B.C. Home

    B.C. Baby Who Put Spiny Caterpillar In Mouth Recovering Well After Treatment

    B.C. Baby Who Put Spiny Caterpillar In Mouth Recovering Well After Treatment
    An eight-month-old baby who put a spiny caterpillar in her mouth between munching on cookies is recovering in Nanaimo, B.C.

    B.C. Baby Who Put Spiny Caterpillar In Mouth Recovering Well After Treatment

    Alleged International Money Launderer Arrested In British Columbia: RCMP

    Alleged International Money Launderer Arrested In British Columbia: RCMP
    A man suspected of being a "high roller" and international money launderer has been arrested in B.C.

    Alleged International Money Launderer Arrested In British Columbia: RCMP

    Didn't Canada Burn Down White House? Donald Trump Scolds Justin Trudeau In A Testy Call

    Didn't Canada Burn Down White House? Donald Trump Scolds Justin Trudeau In A Testy Call
    United States President Donald Trump has asked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that didn't Canada burn down the White House in 1812.

    Didn't Canada Burn Down White House? Donald Trump Scolds Justin Trudeau In A Testy Call

    Ontario Elections: Punjabis Dominate The Poll Horizon

    Ontario Elections: Punjabis Dominate The Poll Horizon
    Brampton And Mississauga — The Two Suburbs Of Toronto Dominated By Punjabis, South Asians And Muslims — Have Emerged As The Epicentre Of The Provincial Elections.

    Ontario Elections: Punjabis Dominate The Poll Horizon