Canada's counter-tariffs on $27.6 billion in U.S. goods take effect today

Canada's government imposed counter-tariffs on $27.6 billion worth of American goods Tuesday, September 8, responding to U.S. tariffs on roughly $28 billion in Canadian products. The federal government also outlined a $7.5 billion support package of "new and enhanced" measures for Canadian workers and businesses affected by the latest wave of American tariffs.

In Ottawa, the move is already reshaping shopping behaviour. At John Fluevog on William Street and Irving Rivers souvenir shop in the ByWard Market—two of the few retail spots open on Labour Day—shoppers actively sought Canadian-made products. Sandra Withers, 78, said she avoids American goods entirely. "I do not buy anything American. I haven't even been there for four or five years," she told the Citizen. Her daughter Maria Longtin added perspective on the tariff mechanics: "I don't understand why Americans don't understand what a tariff is. They don't realize that it's a tax on them. They pay more, and the government gets to keep the money."

For retailers, Canadian branding has become a selling point. Klara Kajic, a 26-year-old sales associate at John Fluevog—a Vancouver-founded brand established in the 1970s—said the busy weekend drew families shopping for back-to-school supplies. "Some of the families are coming from different towns further out from Ottawa, maybe where it's awkward to get to a Fluevog store. I find that when I start telling them it's Canadian, they get so much more proud of the fact that these styles are as crazy as they are."

Symbolic gestures have also emerged. Le Moulin de Provence, a cafe in the ByWard Market, replaced its "Americano" with "Canadiano" coffee on September 4. At Irving Rivers, Michael Osterer reported customers actively requesting Elbows Up T-shirts—inspired by a hockey rallying cry popularized by actor Mike Myers last year—and Lake Ontario shirts, the latter a response to Trump's demand to rename the lake after America.

Ontario expanded tariff-relief financing in late August to shield workers and businesses, and the federal support package announced Tuesday signals continued efforts to cushion the economic impact.