A B.C.-based logistics firm says it has been inundated with calls lately as companies on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border try to prepare for the expected reciprocal tariffs from the U.S.
Greg Timm from PCB Global Trade Management told Global News that call volume has surged 500 per cent as companies are left wondering how their goods will be impacted and what trade options are available.
“When the new incoming president started to talk about tariffs and how much he loved tariffs, the phone started to ring,” Timm said.
“And as it became more evident that he was serious about tariffs, every importer wants to know how it affects their company and their products.”
Timm said he works with companies to answer their concerns and potentially help find alternate trading partners such as free trade agreements with European nations.
He said they have had to hire more people and staff them on the weekends and overnights to meet the demand.
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“These are small companies to big companies saying, ‘Does my load of tomatoes qualify to get a tariff?’” Timm added.
“Do they not qualify? It is little companies that import engines and generators and tools for hardware stores and those sorts of things. Everybody, all companies are looking to see how this affects them and how they then adjust to it.”
More U.S. tariffs are expected to land on Wednesday for U.S. President Donald Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day.”
The reciprocal tariffs will be in addition to the sweeping 25 per cent tariffs placed on Canada and Mexico at the start of March and the 25 per cent steel and aluminum tariffs earlier this month.
The “reciprocal” tariffs don’t name Canada or Mexico specifically but would apply to all of America’s trading partners with a broad range of trade measures. These tariffs, along with a tariff on all foreign-made vehicle imports into the United States, will go into effect Wednesday.
“The world needs the products that we have and that we make and maybe we’ve been too focused on U.S. products only, but we think the people will start using Canada’s free trade agreements abroad,” Timm said.
“We have a very good European Trade Agreement and we have a Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement with countries rimming the Pacific Ocean, so I think we’ll start to look that way.
“It won’t happen right away, but over time we’ll start to diversify.”
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