Fish, milk, smartphones and video games.
Tariff experts and economists say these are some of the products Canadians should expect to pay more for, after the federal government imposed counter-tariffs of up to 50 per cent on more than 700 American products and $27.6 billion in U.S. imports.
Canada’s tariffs, which Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said match new American tariffs “dollar for dollar,” are expected to come into effect on Sept. 8 after U.S. President Donald Trump targeted $28-billion of Canadian products on Saturday.
The Carney government also announced $7.5 billion in support for workers and businesses affected by the ongoing trade war. Existing tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum will rise to 50 per cent from 25 per cent.
“The ramifications of this are higher prices across the board,” said Pedro Antunes, chief economist at Signal49 Research.
With Canadians already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis, experts say these are the products most likely to carry a steeper price tag.
Milk, cheese and curds
Dairy products are heavily included in Canada’s counter-tariffs. Milk and cream are slapped with a 50 per cent tariff while cheese and curds have a 25 per cent tariff.
There will be an adjustment cost but there’s lots of dairy manufacturing in Canada and the possibility of importing dairy products from other trade partners, said Antunes. However, increased demand for Canadian dairy products could cause prices to go up if supply options become limited for consumers.
“It will limit our choice,” he said. “We will be able to substitute for products here at home, perhaps higher-priced.”
Fish and seafood
The choice for the Carney government to hit live fish from the U.S. with a 25 per cent tariff was a “strategic” decision, said Antunes, since it focuses on the processing of the fish rather than the actual meat. But it could create a “substantive increase” in prices at the grocery store for consumers.
Smartphones and video game consoles
Evan Light, an associate professor at the faculty of information at the University of Toronto, said that purchasing smartphones and video games could become even more costly.
Both products were hit with a 50 per cent tariff on Tuesday, an added pressure for consumers looking to upgrade their technology. Light said these tech gadgets are already going up in prices because of ongoing supply issues and high demand.
“Smartphones are fairly expensive to begin with,” he said. “You’d be paying an extra $500 or $600 for a new phone.”
Shampoo and conditioner
Joseph Steinberg, an economics professor at the University of Toronto, said he expects shampoo and conditioner to see “double-digit price increases” as grocery stores and retailers grapple with the pressure of retaliatory tariffs.
While shampoo and conditioner are not explicitly listed on Canada’s list of American products, the item “preparations for use on the hair” is listed with a 50 per cent tariff.
In addition to hair care, “beauty or makeup preparations,” which includes lip, eye, manicure and pedicure items, have also been hit with a 50 per cent tariff. This includes sunscreen and suntanning products.
Steinberg also said there was an “interesting gender impact” and expects to see women disproportionately struggle with those increased costs.
Washing machines, refrigerators and freezers
Alongside other furniture items such as carpets and rugs, Andre Cire, an associate professor in operations management at the University of Toronto, points out that washing machines and refrigerators will also likely go up in price, for residential and commercial uses.
Refrigerators, freezers, dish washers and washing machines have a tariff rate of 25 per cent.
And if grocery stores were looking to cope with the rising cost of maintaining their refrigerators or paying extra for brand-new ones, Cire said that cost could be allocated elsewhere.
“They may transfer (the extra cost) to the price of groceries,” he said. “We’ll have to (wait and) see how much of the cost is going to be added to the consumer.”
Construction materials
Most notably listed in Canada’s long pages of counter-tariffs on American products are several construction materials, including lumber, steel, pipes, pumps, tools and equipment. Various experts told the Star that this will have an effect on construction projects or home renovation plans.
“Anything you would find in Home Depot with a label of ‘Made in U.S.A.’ will likely go up in pricing,” Light said.
Golf clubs
One thing that stood out to Douglas Porter, BMO’s chief economist, was that golf clubs were hit with a 50 per cent tariff, and specifically mentioned under the general umbrella of athletic equipment used for physical exercise.
“It’s a pretty specialized item. There might be one brand that a consumer might have their eye on that happens to be made in the U.S.,” he said.
“I think the list is deliberately picked to select items that will face a lot of competition.”
