Some Aldergrove businesses are bracing for the proposed U.S. tariffs ordered by President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, Feb. 1, Trump had signed an executive order that the U.S. would implement 25 per cent tariffs on Canada, with a lower 10 per cent duty for energy, which has since been delayed at least 30 days after successful talks with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Aldergrove Business Association (ABA) president Jodi Steeves said the situation highlights the importance of shopping locally and Canadian.
"The ABA will be supporting its members through this difficult time by encouraging the community through its 'keep it local' campaign, which begins Tuesday, Feb. 4," she said.
Otter Co-op CEO Jack Nicholson echoed the sentiment, noting that the proposed tariffs would likely have a broad impact on Canadian retailers and consumers with price increases and availability of American brand-name products.
"Otter Co-op is proud to be a local British Columbian member-owned business whose revenue and profits stay directly within our local economy. We’re proud to carry hundreds of Canadian-made products across all our lines of business," he said.
Nicholson added that Otter continues to expand its selection of Canadian-made products as well as its partnerships with local producers.
He said they are closely monitoring the situation, but noted the exact impact of the proposed tariffs remain uncertain as it continually evolves.
"Thank you to everyone who is making the conscious effort to shop local and support Canadian-owned businesses and producers," Nicholson commented.
Heath MacKenzie, owner of Cranky's Bike Shop, shared the uncertainty in how tariffs may impact his business.
"The tariffs could potentially affect the amount of bikes, parts, and accessories that we can get at a reasonable price. We have always tried to purchase Canadian products so our brands like Norco and Rocky Mountain should not be affected. However, Trek is one of our main brands and we are not sure what would happen there," he told The Star.
MacKenzie notes that many bike shops partner with American brands to bring bikes to the Canadian market that are not readily available in Canada.
"We have to pre-order a lot of our stock so most of that has already arrived, putting us in good shape to serve our customers this spring," he said.
"For now, we will keep rolling forward!"