From steel to skylights, buying Canadian goods can stymie the national economic impact of tariffs

Whether it’s picking up a bag of chips from the grocery store or purchasing a skylight for your commercial development, it’s important that Canadians band together and commit to supporting national suppliers as the threat of US trade tariffs loom.

Provinces and municipalities from Atlantic Canada to B.C.’s Fraser Valley are implementing “buy Canadian” policies in an effort to insulate our economy from impending economic turbulence.

Private enterprises are taking a stand as well. E-commerce platforms and app developers are creating software that makes it easier for consumers to find, and buy from, Canadian companies. Eighty per cent of Canadian business leaders are pushing for easements in interprovincial trade barriers to encourage economic sovereignty.

What’s at stake

The construction industry could take some of the largest hits as the US threatens a punitive 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian imports, including steel and aluminum, and a 10 per cent levy on energy products.

The Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) explains that the tariffs could trigger a wider “economic slowdown,” increasing the cost of construction materials in Canada as American purchasers decrease demand for our aluminum and steel. This could ripple out and raise the cost of developing new real estate, as the sector makes up the largest proportion of Canada’s GDP.

Taking the time to research which materials are made in Canada, and choosing to buy those items, helps to fill the void left by American demand and keep our home-grown companies solvent.

Looking through the skylight to see the silver lining of imposed tariffs

It remains to be seen how the future of trade policy between Canada and the United States will shake out. Updates are sporadic, changing from day to day.

The uncertainty is unnerving, but it gives us an opportunity to review – and appreciate – Canada’s economic strengths. We have a great reputation on the international stage where we can enhance existing trade relationships and forge new ones. We are a resource rich country with room to scale up our refining capacity.

Our manufacturing sector already makes up roughly 10 per cent of the Canadian GDP, with huge opportunities for advancement. Instead of letting our money and resources leave the country, we can re-invest in existing operations within our borders.

There may be growing pains in the interim as this restructuring is carried out, which is why it’s so important to start buying Canadian-made materials now.

Cheering on Team Canada

Not to get too stereotypically Canadian here, but we can look to our hockey players for inspiration in this turbulent moment.

In the recent 4 Nations Face-Off final game, millions of hockey fans watched as Team Canada challenged the USA. The tensions of the current political moment added pressure to prove that Canadians could band together to come out on top – both on and off the ice.

The overtime win created a moment of national unity, and while the victory was sweet, it wasn’t the only thing fans were celebrating. Rather, it was the display of Canada’s indominable spirit in the face of a challenge that ignited a collective sense of pride.

Stabilizing our economy in the face of outside forces, like tariffs, starts by intentionally supporting Canadian owned and operated businesses, especially in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

It’s time for all of us to rise to the occasion on a national scale.