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Who needs patriotism when the counter-tariffs will be making US-sourced goods so expensive?

When the Canada-US free trade treaty was being argued, some pundits were saying that it didn't matter because such a large proportion of goods crossing the border were not tariffed.

But that's BECAUSE nobody bothered to try to buy or sell those goods through tariffs. They did their job, as intended: reducing cross-border competition.

And what about reducing interprovincial barriers to trade across Canada? Last time that was tried, with beer, all the Canadian beer companies bought each other out until they had the entire market shared between the two survivors. As they'd promised, it made them more profitable.

They they both sold out at great profit to foreign makers - in the US and Brazil, if I recall. And the Canadian beer industry is a ruin of struggling and bankrupt craft breweries.

(No, I don't drink beer.)

mordko said
I visited a supermarket once over this period. Everyone (and I mean everyone) was inspecting the products like I’ve never seen before. They were checking for place of origin.  

In that same period, I have seen no one bothering to read the labels. They just pick what they want and put it in their basket.

HermanH said

Patriotism and pride are luxuries easily measurable; they are affordable only by those willing to pay their price. If one wants to pay 30%+ more for their basic groceries, then they get to have principles. They are not free. Otherwise, they do what they must.

A good quote from The Patriot movie (2000):

Benjamin Martin: I'm a parent. I haven't got the luxury of principles.

  

So if they are "easily measurable" please let me know how they are measured & what the results are? Thanks

Everything is "worth" exactly what someone is willing to pay for it.

RetirEd said
Everything is "worth" exactly what someone is willing to pay for it.  

Sure is.

Canadians are angry at the US tarriffs. Buy Canadian and stop buying Americans is a way to protest, to show support to counter. I got it.

Everyone entitles to their opinions. Let's respect even if we disagree..

Btw, I take the word "patriots" very seriously as people who are willing to defend and die for a country's sovereignty.

HermanH said
The 'buy Canadian' fad is just as silly as the 'boycott Loblaws' idiocy. Absolutely no effect whatsoever and totally negligible. Just a bunch of powerless self-important fools trying to make themselves feel significant.  

dommm said

What's the definition of condescending?  

Ditto Dommm ⬆

And in addition, what's the definition of . . .

Seems like most forums have at least one ... LOL

Dean

Buying Canadian, and non-american can help. This week essentially all groceries bought were product of Canada, and then oranges from Morocco, etc.

If/when the psychopath to the south does more economic warfare, likely the gov't will respond with tax breaks for Canadian based companies, and other measures.
But prices are going to go up. A 25% tariff will shut down a chunk of the auto industry in a couple weeks. If it gets to that point its an economic war. Obviously Musk and Trump want to steal the trillions of dollars in Canadian natural resources wealth.
Canada survived before free trade with the US, so can survive after it.
We have decided to not spend a nickle in the US while Trump is in office, and no one knows how long that is going to be.

I asked the shopper in our family (a number of places virtually every day) and she said she has noticed zero difference in people checking labels, etc. I made a rare visit to a grocery store today, same impression.

Same with the folks I know who go to USA for some warmth, though there seems to be a bit more grumbling about how expensive it is down there, what with our dollar.

East of Manitoba gets lots of oil & natural gas from USA, people won't buy Florida oranges but I've heard zero, radio silence, re boycotting all that USA oil & gas - ??