CAN-USA Tariff Strife (split from various pol threads)

[Kirkhill]

Yup, we’ve been voting with our wallet. I’m bypassing American produce at the grocery store. If it means we go without a preferred fruit or vegetable until the store restocks with some sourced elsewhere, we’re fine with that.

Our local Safeway's seems to have a lot more manoeuvering room for the carts, a lot more floor space. The produce and meat counters seem to have been purged of US product. Now the produce comes from Mexico and Latin America, from New Zealand and South Africa with locally grown tomatoes and root crops. We seem to be short of fish but my prairie-girl wife won't let me buy any of it anyway.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Our local Safeway's seems to have a lot more manoeuvering room for the carts, a lot more floor space. The produce and meat counters seem to have been purged of US product. Now the produce comes from Mexico and Latin America, from New Zealand and South Africa with locally grown tomatoes and root crops. We seem to be short of fish but my prairie-girl wife won't let me buy any of it anyway.

Fewer choices and higher prices? I suppose anyone who chooses anti-prosperity should be welcome to it.

 

[HavokFour]

This is already starting to manifest in the fresh produce area. There is now next to no fresh produce from the US at my local (Superstore) grocer. The products that do come from the US, and be sourced from other areas. Canadians are voting with their wallets, and retailers are not going to let product sit unsold for long.

It was pretty wild when I was in a grocery store on Thursday. Literally mountains of US grown produce going entirely untouched and on heavy discount, stuff from Chile and Mexico was getting grabbed immediately as it was getting (re)stocked.

 

[brihard]

It was pretty wild when I was in a grocery store on Thursday. Literally mountains of US grown produce going entirely untouched and on heavy discount, stuff from Chile and Mexico was getting grabbed immediately as it was getting (re)stocked.

Right now, immediately, it's simple stuff like produce and other groceries. Longer term, it will be plenty of other things that we may not need to buy right now, but may need next month or next year... The big one on the horizon for me is a new car within a couple years. It'll show in things like vacation travel, consumer brand choices, more awareness of the corporate ownership of which stores we shop at... Home Hardware instead of Home Depot; Petro Can instead of Esso. Things like that.

 

[ModlrMike]

Right now, immediately, it's simple stuff like produce and other groceries. Longer term, it will be plenty of other things that we may not need to buy right now, but may need next month or next year... The big one on the horizon for me is a new car within a couple years. It'll show in things like vacation travel, consumer brand choices, more awareness of the corporate ownership of which stores we shop at... Home Hardware instead of Home Depot; Petro Can instead of Esso. Things like that.

Not so easy a task. Home Hardware is a small market operation on purpose, so that they don't have to directly compete with the big boys. City folks will still need to shop at either Rona or HD - both US corporations. Corporations that employ thousands of Canadians. What we need to do is motivate these corporations to source more goods from Canada for sale here. There are still going to be profits that flow to the US, but at a much smaller rate.

 

[brihard]

Not so easy a task. Home Hardware is a small market operation on purpose, so that they don't have to directly compete with the big boys. City folks will still need to shop at either Rona or HD - both US corporations. Corporations that employ thousands of Canadians. What we need to do is motivate these corporations to source more goods from Canada for sale here. There are still going to be profits that flow to the US, but at a much smaller rate.

Yeah- but there will be growth potential there. My local home hardware is brand new; they knocked down and replaced a shitty little store with a large building center; good source of supply for the sort of projects you see in a new subdivision; decks, fences, basement finishing, etc. I'll still given them business where I can for things that they carry; and really for most of my needs at least, no big difference. Obviously it's not a substitution open to everyone.

We will see a slight value premium on demonstrable "Canadianness" for the foreseeable future.

 

[JLB50]

Yup, we’ve been voting with our wallet. I’m bypassing American produce at the grocery store. If it means we go without a preferred fruit or vegetable until the store restocks with some sourced elsewhere, we’re fine with that.

Now if only we can have more greenhouses to provide Canadians with year-round lettuce, tomatoes and other local produce that the Americans have traditionally supplied. Even before Trump started making his threats there has been a growing trend to buying locally-produced food. If a grower has a good business plan and the hydro/logistics rates aren’t too out of whack, I think it could be a viable solution for much of the country. Greenhouses could even be set up in urban areas. However, the political mindset needs to be changed in order for it to happen. Still it can happen if need be. And I think the need is definitely there already.

 

[brihard]

Now if only we can have more greenhouses to provide Canadians with year-round lettuce, tomatoes and other local produce that the Americans have traditionally supplied. Even before Trump started making his threats there has been a growing trend to buying locally-produced food. If a grower has a good business plan and the hydro/logistics rates aren’t too out of whack, I think it could be a viable solution for much of the country. Greenhouses could even be set up in urban areas. However, the political mindset needs to be changed in order for it to happen. Still it can happen if need be. And I think the need is definitely there already.

We're still part of a trading bloc with Mexico, and they can grow a lot of that too. If greenhouse agriculture makes sense, sure, but I'm not sure how much, economically, it does.

 

[Good2Golf]

When the only time article 5 was invoked which is the cornerstone of the NATO alliance, was Canada a freeloader or did we step up? How was our contribution compared to everyone else in NATO?

158 dead Canadians in AFG says we weren’t totally freeloading. That, and not allmofnCamada’s defence budget goes to NATO, like that other non-European NATO country.

Yeah- but there will be growth potential there. My local home hardware is brand new; they knocked down and replaced a shitty little store with a large building center; good source of supply for the sort of projects you see in a new subdivision; decks, fences, basement finishing, etc. I'll still given them business where I can for things that they carry; and really for most of my needs at least, no big difference. Obviously it's not a substitution open to everyone.

I go to them first, as well. They’re really expanded from the ‘double-wide’ old store.

 

[Remius]

158 dead Canadians in AFG says we weren’t totally freeloading. That, and not allmofnCamada’s defence budget goes to NATO, like that other non-European NATO country.



I go to them first, as well. They’re really expanded from the ‘double-wide’ old store.

Same. I get most of my gardening supplies there as well.

And way more parking than they used to have lol.

 

[Booter]

Only if they could build convincing, prosecutable cases on it. There’s often a difference between what police know and what we can prove.

Man is this ever true. Being a gang member and being able to prosecute them as such are two wildly different things

 

[quadrapiper]

Not so easy a task. Home Hardware is a small market operation on purpose, so that they don't have to directly compete with the big boys. City folks will still need to shop at either Rona or HD - both US corporations.

Don't know how universal this is, but there's plenty of HH stores in BC in strip malls and very urban areas, including Davie Street in Vancouver. Davie Village Home Hardware · Vancouver, British Columbia
Their lumber yard offerings, in locations where they have a yard, are much more variable than HD's indoor materials aisles, but seem competitive (and sometimes offer more variety).

They're hanging out in the "neighbourhood hardware store" space, as well as contractor-supply/big box DIY.

If I'm after anything nice, odd, or niche it's off to Windsor Plywood either way. Incredibly glad they, and Lee Valley, are Canadian!

Fastenal is a challenge, though. Does anyone have a favoured equivalent Canadian operation?

 

[Good2Golf]

Fastenal is a challenge, though. Does anyone have a favoured equivalent Canadian operation?

Princess Auto for a try.

https://www.princessauto.com/en/

 

[GK .Dundas]

Good. Like I say. Cut them off.

The marketing board can shift and use their surplus for powdered milk and powdered eggs.

We can distibute that as foriegn aid instead of cash.

 

[lenaitch]

Except that Canadian numbers are a rounding error on US manufacturing capacity... we have little to no leverage here is my guess...


American manufacturers produce approximately 10 million units annually. Notable exceptions were 5.7 million automobiles manufactured in 2009 (due to crisis), and more recently 8.8 million units in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Production peaked during the 1970s and early 2000s at 13–15 million units.

Automotive industry in the United States - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It's not just the location of final assembly but the sourcing of individual components. Interesting London Free Press article shows how integrated the auto manufacturing process is:

Trump tariffs: How one car piece crosses Canada, U.S., Mexico borders 7 times

Scrap from Linamar Corp. crosses Canada, U.S., Mexico borders 7 times until it becomes an automatic transmission that powers a vehicle.

lfpress.com

This article discusses parts as well but it is a little dated as some of the charts lump Canada and US together. Although not discussed, it seems our component manufacturing industry outstrips our percentage of the final vehicle market.

What Do We Know About the Origin of Parts in Vehicles Sold in the U.S. Market? - Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

www.chicagofed.org

 

[MilEME09]

Clearly we need to go nuclear with this trade war, Pornhub must block America. As a Canadian company, it's their patriotic duty, and America will crumble.

 

[JLB50]

Clearly we need to go nuclear with this trade war, Pornhub must block America. As a Canadian company, it's their patriotic duty, and America will crumble.

In which case, American men would be left to their own devices.

 

[Kirkhill]

We're still part of a trading bloc with Mexico, and they can grow a lot of that too. If greenhouse agriculture makes sense, sure, but I'm not sure how much, economically, it does.

It makes sense in Southern Alberta - with natural gas at Medicine Hat rates. Most of our tomatoes and peppers come from Medicine Hat greenhouses.

 

[lenaitch]

Don't know how universal this is, but there's plenty of HH stores in BC in strip malls and very urban areas, including Davie Street in Vancouver. Davie Village Home Hardware · Vancouver, British Columbia
Their lumber yard offerings, in locations where they have a yard, are much more variable than HD's indoor materials aisles, but seem competitive (and sometimes offer more variety).

They're hanging out in the "neighbourhood hardware store" space, as well as contractor-supply/big box DIY.

If I'm after anything nice, odd, or niche it's off to Windsor Plywood either way. Incredibly glad they, and Lee Valley, are Canadian!

Fastenal is a challenge, though. Does anyone have a favoured equivalent Canadian operation?

I've been a fan of HH for years. Where we used to live, we had a small store in a mall and a building centre where all the lumber was either inside or under sheds. I've had good luck with their online system as well.

Where we are now, their building centre is meh, but the other store is right out of the olde tyme general store world. It's cluttered, but the staff somehow knows where everything is and they hold to the 'if we ain't got it - it ain't made' philosophy. It's a combination hardware/farm supply store and they even have a wood stove and pellet stove going in season.

I used to go to Fastenal/HD Supply in Barrie for stainless steel hardware. I can get most of what I need at the aforementioned HH store. I haven't had the need to find a fastener supply house locally. Search 'Canadian owned retail fastener companies' and see what comes up for your area.

 

[PrairieFella]

I think this fits here. A statement for Commonwealth Day from His Majesty. Perhaps I'm biased but there is a certain tone to this statement that I appreciate, I'm wondering if you guys see it too. It's nice to see the King taking a side, no matter how subtle he has to be.

Last October, leaders from across the Commonwealth came together in Samoa to reaffirm their “belief in the value of the Commonwealth as a trusted forum where diverse voices of our member states, the large and the small, the young and the old, come together as one family.” These gatherings are important for helping all Commonwealth nations to tackle the challenges of the day, yet they also play another vital role. In these uncertain times, where it is all too easy to believe that our differences are problems instead of a source of strength and an opportunity for learning, the Commonwealth’s remarkable collection of nations and peoples come together in the spirit of support and, crucially, friendship.

This year, the world reflects on the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War 2. More than one-and-a-half million men and women who served during the War came from across the Commonwealth to support the United Kingdom and its allies. On this special anniversary, we remember with particular pride and everlasting gratitude the untold sacrifice and selflessness of so many from around our Family of Nations who gave their lives in that dreadful conflict. The Commonwealth’s ability to bring together people from all over the world has stood the test of time and remains as ever-important today. Leaders recently reiterated the importance of collaboration for peace and human rights, as well as for the restoration of Nature both on land and in the oceans.

As we mark this Commonwealth Day together, there is no more important task than to restore the disrupted harmony of our entire planet. For the sake of our younger generations’ threatened future, I can only hope that the Commonwealth will continue its vital work to restore that harmony.

Charles R.