TORONTO — President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, coming on the heels of his taunting threats to make the country the 51st U.S. state, are eroding the inherent politeness of Americans’ northern neighbors and rallying them around their own flag.
Canadians are removing American liquor and California wines from their store shelves. They’re pulling back on future visits to the U.S. They’re pushing “Buy Canadian” to counter higher costs and spite Trump. And they are uncharacteristically brandishing unvarnished anger over what they see as a betrayal by a longtime friend.
“I will never visit America again,” Angela Qin, a university student, told NBC News as she exited an ice rink in downtown Toronto. “You don’t stab the back of your friend.”
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Trump announced 25% tariffs this week on most Canadian imports. His decision a couple of days later to exempt from tariffs about 38% of Canadian goods that comply with the North American trade deal negotiated during his first term sparked more confusion and did little to tamp down contempt for him across the country. His suggestion on Friday that he might hit Canada with new tariffs on lumber and dairy products only fueled the fury.
“Canada has been ripping us off for years on tariffs for lumber and for dairy products,” Trump told reporters during an event in the Oval Office. He accused Canada of taking advantage of American farmers and threatened to reciprocate with more tariffs “as early as today or we’ll wait until Monday or Tuesday.”
“It’s not fair,” the president said.
For Canadians, what’s not fair is being a good, friendly neighbor only to have that friend turn on you. Now — from the top tiers of the Canadian government on down — the country is seeking to send a message to America.
“Our grocery stores are really promoting our Canadian products, and I think a lot of us are buying those products because of this,” said Liz Floyd, who noted there’s been more national unity in Canada.
British Columbia Premier David Eby was more blunt.
“We’re gonna ensure that the Americans understand how pissed off we are, how unified we are, how committed we are to working as a country to stand up for each other,” he said.
Qin said it’s hard to separate Americans from Trump, at least for the next four years.
“We have been in our comfort zone with America for years,” she said. “So, this is a chance for us to, you know, be stronger together.”
Others interviewed at Toronto City Hall had nothing nice to say about Trump or his tariffs. But ever well-mannered, they stopped short of directing their scorn directly at the American people — even as they warned costs for them will increase too because of Canada’s retaliatory moves.
“This is going to screw us, and it’s going to screw you guys,” said Chris Peterson, a carpenter from St. Catharines, a city in Ontario across the border from western New York. “Pardon my words, but yeah, you guys are — all your prices are going to go up, and all our prices go up.”
The Canadian government on Friday launched a $5 billion program to help businesses in the country navigate the tariffs and find new markets for their exports.
Provincial governments are taking forceful steps on their own to encourage consumers to “Buy Canadian.” Ontario’s government-run liquor stores sell nearly a billion dollars in American products every year, but they were ordered this week to stop selling American wines and liquor.
“We love the U.S.,” Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford said in an interview. “This is insanity, and it’s unfortunate.”
Ford threatened to cut off Canadian electricity sold across the border, which powers some 1.5 million homes and businesses in New York, Minnesota and Michigan.
“That’s the last thing I want to do, but President Trump is trying to destroy our country,” he said.
Some Canadians support that move — and more.
“We’re still being too nice,” said Peterson. “I think we should cut everything up. No electricity for you guys, no wood for you guys, no nothing till he takes every one of those tariffs away.”
As for Trump’s ambitions to make Canada America’s 51st state, “Not a chance,” Peterson said. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re Canada.”
