(NewsNation) — Despite a current pause on President Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canadian goods, the mere prospect has rattled farmers on both sides of the border.
Canadian grain farmer Dean Harder told NewsNation that a 25% tariff would make him consider whether he would continue growing barley to sell to the U.S. or switch to a crop another part of the world would want.
“This will hurt the average person in both Canada and the U.S. and we’ve already seen inflation,” Harder said. “People who are having a tough time as it is, it’s not going to bring prosperity.”
Every day, hundreds of trucks transport all kinds of goods into the U.S., including grains, oils, meat products and much more.
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From the Canadian province of Manitoba alone, billions of dollars in agricultural food products find their way into homes in America’s heartland.
The simmering trade war is stoking anti-American sentiment, with some Canadians boycotting American products and even canceling Netflix and Amazon accounts.
The 51st state talk is also riling Canadians. While multiple surveys have found the majority are against becoming Americans, some agree with Trump’s assessment that Canada is vulnerable militarily.
“There are no solutions, just tradeoffs, so… I enjoy what we have here in Canada, free healthcare is pretty good, wait times suck but whatever,” Winnipeg resident, Kyle, told NewsNation. “But, low taxes, [Trump] keeps talking about that so that’s not the worst thing.”
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Others disagree and have a more partisan take on the discussion.
“The bilingual culture, the bilingual language, you can’t just forget that,” said Winnipeg bookstore owner Gérald Boily. “It’s part of our identity, it’s part of who we are, we don’t really feel a need to become a 51st state.”
Trump referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor” again this week as he continues to publicly float the idea of Canada joining the U.S.
On the trade front, Trump has acknowledged that tariffs could mean higher prices in the short term but that things would eventually ease off and fall in America’s favor.
