Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Stop buying American goods after Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico

963 replies

Rainingalldayonmyhead · 02/02/2025 09:23

Stop buying American goods after Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

He says it’s because of phen and illegal immigration - less than 1% come from Canada.

This will have significant implications for the Canadian economy, the American economy and by domino the world. Not to mention the fact it could start a significant trade war.

The US doesn’t subsidise Canada - they buy Canadian goods. Approx 40% of their crude oil comes from Canada for example.

There is also an agreed trade deal between the US/Canada and Mexico that Trump agreed to and signed in his first years in office.

YABU - it doesn’t matter to me
YANBU - let’s stand up to a bully and support our allies

OP posts:
Thread gallery
47
Rainingalldayonmyhead · 02/02/2025 12:01

Tomatotater · 02/02/2025 12:00

Aren't Canada and Mexico in a free trade area? ( guessing the US doesn't want to be in it anymore) so South America could be a great export market.

Edited

Yes. Trump renegotiated NAFTA (North American free trade agreement) in his last term and agreed the tariffs with Canada and Mexico/. He has affectively ripped up that piece of paper.

OP posts:
Porcuporpoise · 02/02/2025 12:02

@Rainingalldayonmyhead if Trump wants to teach the world that his signature on a trade agreement is worthless, let him. It's pretty much the truth.

Hants123 · 02/02/2025 12:03

Aren't most of MS Azure cloud servers in the US and probably AWS as well.

cakeorwine · 02/02/2025 12:03

Rainingalldayonmyhead · 02/02/2025 12:00

No not really. You can’t just magic things out of the ground if they aren’t there.

It’s called standing against bullies with your friends and allies even if it doesn’t directly affect you. Sorta like Canada did in WW2.

This.

And if the USA suddenly finds it needs allies in the future, public opinion in other countries may well be against them

Allthosedays · 02/02/2025 12:04

If you read the fact sheet released by the white house it makes more reference to the use of tariffs as leverage to force action against drugs entering the US, specifically fentanyl which is considered a public health emergency.
It also states that it will remain in effect until this is controlled. Rather than it being to generate revenue or increase inflation.

Canada has been identified as having labs producing fentanyl and China as providing the precursors for production.
www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-imposes-tariffs-on-imports-from-canada-mexico-and-china/

BobnLen · 02/02/2025 12:05

Well, I don't think it is quite like saying I will boycott John Lewis or M&S.

Noras · 02/02/2025 12:06

Heres the UK position - seems like our cheese makers are having a rough time with Canada

Negotiations with Canada on a new free trade deal have broken down, but what does this mean for businesses trading with the country and what happens next?
BCC Head of Trade Policy, William Bain, examines the implications:
One of the immediate effects of dialogue ending is that there will be no reprieve for cheese or dairy exporters in the UK. They have already been told they must access the non-EU quota for Canada cheese and dairy imports - this took effect on 1 January.
They will face stiff competition to access this quota, from the likes of Mexican and Swiss exporters, with long-standing contracts and supply chains into the Canadian market.
Any exports that UK cheese makers agree outside of the quota will face tariffs of 275%, making them completely uncompetitive

Floppyzebra · 02/02/2025 12:06

Kellogg's, M&M's, Snickers, Milky Way, Kit Kat, Oreos, Pringles, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Heinz, Cadbury, Tabasco, Old El Paso, Nike, Levi's, Calvin Klein, Vans, iPhones, Starbucks, Ford, McDonald's, Domino's Pizza, Burger King, Subway, etc.

trivialMorning · 02/02/2025 12:07

I was watching some news analysis about this. Apparently world leader saw Trump first victory as aberration they had to wait out - then Biden failed to lift many polices put in - and now Trump in again. So the view now is it the way USA is going and it's around to stay and there will likely be more push back worldwide this time.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6798e53b4686aac158606412/united-states-trade-and-investment-factsheet-2025-01-31.pdf

The top 5 goods exported from the UK to United States:
Cars -Medicinal & pharmaceutical products - Mechanical power generators (intermediate) Scientific instruments Aircraft

Top 5 thing we import from them:

Crude oil, Mechanical power generators (intermediate) Medicinal & pharmaceutical products Refined oil - Aircraft

There seems to be some overlap and not things easily consumer boycotted.

They already said they want Europe to buy more of their oil - and EU said let's talk not no they are interested having relied upon Russian oil- and USA would like to sell more weapons hence wanting more defence spending - we also have a weapons industry.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6798e53b4686aac158606412/united-states-trade-and-investment-factsheet-2025-01-31.pdf

throwawayaway1 · 02/02/2025 12:08

Rainingalldayonmyhead · 02/02/2025 11:16

Exactly. Consider American beers as a start.

Ha. My husband grew up on the Vermont/Canada border and they used to drive over to get Canadian beer - Molson Brador, I think 😀

Honestly, I apologise to the world for this piece of human excrement my countrymen elected. We despise him and can't believe what he's doing to America and the world.

Noras · 02/02/2025 12:08

The UK and Canada are blaming each other after a dispute over beef and cheese led to the collapse of trade talks.
Negotiations to thrash out a new agreement to replace the one the two countries had when the UK was still in the European Union had been running for nearly two years.
But on Thursday night, it emerged the UK had halted discussions, due to a lack of progress on the two food products.
It could mean tougher trading terms for the UK with a partner that accounted for 1.4% of its total trade in the 12 months to June 2023.
Goods trade between the two countries was worth £19.2bn in 2020, according to the UK government, with UK imports from Canada worth £7.3bn and UK exports to Canada worth £11.8bn.
UK-Canada trade talks halted in beef and cheese row
UK and Canada agree provisional post-Brexit trade deal before negotiations begin
What trade deals has the UK done so far?
The implications of the talks collapsing could be felt by consumers and farmers in both countries. Another major sector, cars, will also be affected.
Here's the likely impact on all three areas at a glance.
Beef
Beef farmers in the UK likely to see the collapse of talks as a big win
Canada's farming industry has previously voiced its frustration to the UK, saying its meat is disadvantaged under an interim agreement
Canada's government had been pushing for the UK to relax a ban on hormone-treated beef
British farmers will see the collapse in talks as a big win. The body representing UK farmers, the National Farmers Union (NFU), has been putting pressure on the government to protect its members.
Beef farmers in the UK are already facing competition from those in New Zealand and Australia, whose exports benefit from free trade deals with the UK, meaning tariffs are removed.
Minette Batters, the president of the Nation Farmers' Union of England and Wales, said walking away from the Canadian trade deal would have been difficult, "but it's the right decision".
Canada's government had been pushing for the UK to relax a ban on hormone-treated beef, which its producers say effectively shuts them out of the British market.
The Canadian Cattle Association said the UK had "shown no indication that it is prepared to fully accept Canada's food safety system, which is widely recognised as one of the finest in the world".
It's not the first time that beef has been a sticking point in trade relations between the two nations. Canada's farming industry has previously voiced its frustration to the government, saying that its meat is "severely disadvantaged" under a post-Brexit interim agreement with the UK, and essentially blocked out of that market.
Last year, a coalition of Canadian farming groups protested the UK's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement over concerns about that reciprocal access. They demanded that either the UK accept Canada's food safety system or pay compensation for their losses.
Cheese
The UK is Canada's fifth largest supplier of cheese - but collapse of talks "doesn't look rosy"
A 245% tariff has been placed on UK cheese exporters since the start of 2024, impacting prices
Canadian cheese exports are mainly to countries other than the UK
But there are fears the end of the agreement could "cripple" Canadian cheese importers and small cheese shops
British cheese exports to Canada were worth £18.7m - or 2.4% of total cheese exports - in 2022, according to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).
That translates to Canada importing a little more than two million kilograms of cheese from the UK (its fifth largest supplier), international trade data indicates.
British firm Coombe Castle International is the largest UK cheese exporter to Canada and about a third of the cheese it exports goes to the country.
Ben Hutchins, its sales and marketing director, told the BBC the firm was "pretty gutted" that talks had been suspended, adding that the company had been exporting to Canada since 1980.
He said the suspension of talks "doesn't look rosy" for cheese exports.
Mr Hutchins said that with a third of the business tied up in Canada after 40 years, it won't be easy to quickly find new markets.
Industry group Dairy UK said the suspension of talks was "regrettable, but there was little indication that Canada was really willing to improve access to the Canadian cheese market".
Since the beginning of the year, UK cheese exporters have seen a 245% tariff placed on British cheese going to Canada, impacting prices.

Woman shops for beef in supermarket

UK halts trade negotiations with Canada over hormones in beef ban

Talks aimed at extending an EU-era deal broke down over Britain's ban on hormone-treated meat.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68098177

CerealPosterHere · 02/02/2025 12:09

ImWearingPantaloons · 02/02/2025 11:37

An someone explain tariffs to me like I'm a child please?

Who pays? The companies importing to the USA, or the companies in the USA when they purchase the goods?

I saw an importer talking about this recently. So he said if he (let’s say he’s Canadian) has to pay a 25% tariff to get goods from Canada USA yes he will pay the tariff. But then he will put his prices up by enough to cover the cost, so the consumer/purchaser takes the hit….so the USA companies and individuals.

now it may be at that point a USA company can step in and say well we didn’t used to be the cheapest but now the Canadians have increased their prices by 25% we will be cheaper as our prices are only 20% more than the old price. So Americans will still pay more, Canadians lose jobs. But USA first I guess!

XWKD · 02/02/2025 12:09

Pat888 · 02/02/2025 11:25

Fb, Disney+, Amazon, Google etc etc etc you are contributing to the billions tax paid from the multibillion these companies make from us mugs.

I don't pay for any of these. If people want to pay them to advertise to me, that's up to them, although I use ad-blockers.

Coolasfeck · 02/02/2025 12:10

EmmaMaria · 02/02/2025 11:48

Whilst I don't disagree with you in principle, I don't think a boybott of US goods by MN posters will dent much. I'm guessing you are Canadian, so have a vested interest? Here's a simple solution - stop sending oil! Close the pipelines and he'll come to heel fast enough.

If every Britain cancelled Amazon Prime or at least drastically reduced getting Amazon deliveries, there would be a noticeable impact on a key Trump ally.

Floppyzebra · 02/02/2025 12:11

HipMax · 02/02/2025 11:58

Tariffs in Canada is stopping illegal immigration how exactly?

We shall see, hopefully it'll be a message for other countries and convince Canada to tighten their own borders.

Tomatotater · 02/02/2025 12:12

shuggles · 02/02/2025 11:55

Fair enough. I'm surprised he thinks that.

I don't think this is a reason to boycott American goods though. The retaliation comes from governments that respond by increasing tariffs on American goods, so there is no need to have your own boycott above that.

I would also question whether it's strictly wrong for Trump to want more manufacturing completed in the US. On the question of what should be imported, and what should be made in our own countries, there's not really a right or wrong answer and it's about getting the right balance.

Given that climate change is a problem (yes, climate change is a real thing), I wonder if manufacturing more things in the UK, rather than having goods flown in from other countries, can help to decrease carbon emissions.

That's fine, but Musk and his like want their stuff manufactured in China so they don't have to pay a decent wage. If Trump wants things made in the US, Americans are going to have to do the work, at the same speed as they do in China and India, and their employers are going to have to pay them more. Just as we will have to if we want more manufacturing in this country. Less stuff, made better that lasts for longer, but much, much more expensive. The proliferation of people who don't care that a child has made their piece of crap top from Shein that they bought for £2 suggests that won't be happening anytime soon.

Upstartled · 02/02/2025 12:12

I mean, people didn't stop using Amazon when it was decimating the high street, they're not going to give it up just to stick it to Bezos, are they?

JustMyView13 · 02/02/2025 12:12

The people of America, using their long standing democratic process, voted for this. Everyone could see the direction this election was heading. They got what they wanted.

Unfortunately, when you hyper focus on minor matters, you miss some of the bigger stuff which in the clear light of day was very obvious to ‘outsiders / foreigners’.

WitchesCauldron · 02/02/2025 12:12

Upstartled · 02/02/2025 09:30

No, thanks. It doesn't matter to me.

Weird attitude.

throwawayaway1 · 02/02/2025 12:13

neverthelastone · 02/02/2025 11:57

Yeah, the logic of the Brexiters was that instead of being in a trading bloc with our nearest export partners, where we would be an integral part of the decision-making, we would be having glorious new free trade agreements with the US… oops.

Sadly, Trump, like Brexit, is entirely a phenomenon entirely dependent on the votes of the lower half of the IQ distribution curve. I’m sure there will be a few Brexiteers along in a moment to argue with that, but we all know that unfortunately it’s true — both Trump and Brexit appeal to the more gullible and the stupider half of the voters. Unfortunately, as we know from Brexit, no matter what or how glaring the consequences, these people will still deliberately fail to understand the results of their actions. Just as even now threads of idiots speak on social media still claiming the only thing wrong with Brexit was that it wasn’t extreme enough, for decades we will have MAGA idiots blaming the consequences of Trump’s policies on Biden, Obama, vaccines, DEI, black people, immigrants or whatever. They’ll never learn. ☹️

Edited

Unfortunately, I think this is a very accurate assessment.

WaryCrow · 02/02/2025 12:14

Deljay · 02/02/2025 09:35

I think it's really hard to boycott goods these days. Everything is everywhere. What ARE American goods? I can think of really... 90s things?

I guess it's Coca Cola and Pepsi, Levis, Disney, Mars, MacDonalds, KFC, etc, Nike, Starbucks. But a lot of that is brands, right? It's not really things they make. What do they actually make just them?

What about things like Google, Microsoft, Apple? Isn't it all made in China?

This is the difficulty with large entwined supply systems. Ultimately nations got started as large scale community groups exchanging resources within commonly (or enforced) held standards, agreements and law. There is no such standard or social cohesion on the global map.

This is why some of us have never liked globalism, because of the vulnerability of close interdependency. I don’t see how the U.K. can resist America now, especially outside the EU. This is why all of our leaders are having to crawl and backtrack in humiliating fashion.

CerealPosterHere · 02/02/2025 12:17

Allthosedays · 02/02/2025 12:04

If you read the fact sheet released by the white house it makes more reference to the use of tariffs as leverage to force action against drugs entering the US, specifically fentanyl which is considered a public health emergency.
It also states that it will remain in effect until this is controlled. Rather than it being to generate revenue or increase inflation.

Canada has been identified as having labs producing fentanyl and China as providing the precursors for production.
www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-imposes-tariffs-on-imports-from-canada-mexico-and-china/

Just because the White House say this doesn’t make it true. Even the bbc which you’d hope would be balanced reckon it’s about revenue raising.

Rainingalldayonmyhead · 02/02/2025 12:19

Allthosedays · 02/02/2025 12:04

If you read the fact sheet released by the white house it makes more reference to the use of tariffs as leverage to force action against drugs entering the US, specifically fentanyl which is considered a public health emergency.
It also states that it will remain in effect until this is controlled. Rather than it being to generate revenue or increase inflation.

Canada has been identified as having labs producing fentanyl and China as providing the precursors for production.
www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-imposes-tariffs-on-imports-from-canada-mexico-and-china/

OMG. Negligible amounts have come from Canada - less than 1%. In fact as another poster has kindly said it’s about 17kg worth. Please get both sides before you reference a point. Canada isn’t the problem.

OP posts:
Rainingalldayonmyhead · 02/02/2025 12:20

JustMyView13 · 02/02/2025 12:12

The people of America, using their long standing democratic process, voted for this. Everyone could see the direction this election was heading. They got what they wanted.

Unfortunately, when you hyper focus on minor matters, you miss some of the bigger stuff which in the clear light of day was very obvious to ‘outsiders / foreigners’.

Wrong again. They voted from Trump yea. The majority of Americans are against the tariffs.

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread