{"id":818269,"date":"2026-08-19T01:48:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T01:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/818269\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T01:48:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T01:48:12","slug":"canada-u-s-trade-deadline-businesses-prepares-for-tariffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/818269\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada-U.S. trade deadline: Businesses prepares for tariffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

B.C. businesses are worried that new U.S. tariffs could sharply cut sales, especially from American customers they rely on. Andrew Johnson reports. <\/p>\n

LANGLEY, B.C. \u2013 One of the traits Shelby Dennis values most in her horses is their ability to regulate their emotions. <\/p>\n

It is something she is working hard at herself while staring down a potential 50 per cent U.S. tariff on some of her products.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes me really angry, because it\u2019s not even just impacting Canadian businesses. It\u2019s making stuff harder for the American citizens, as well,\u201d Dennis said. \u201cI feel bad for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dennis is the owner of Milestone Equestrian, which sells horse equipment, apparel and digital training programs online. Between 70 to 80 per cent of her customers are American, making new tariffs a major threat to her business. <\/p>\n

\"\"Trump tariffs B.C. small business owner Shelby Dennis is freezing holiday inventory from her B.C. equestrian company over fears of potential 50% tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. (CTV News) <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a scenario she already watched play out last year during trade uncertainty.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast winter was terrible, through Black Friday and Christmas,\u201d she told CTV News. \u201cThat\u2019s my biggest selling period.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dennis says misinformation is as big an issue as the tariffs themselves. <\/p>\n

\u201cI got so many abusive, nasty messages from U.S. customers who didn\u2019t understand why they had to pay the tariffs, because they were under the impression that I had to cover them,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

She has spent nearly a decade building the online business, which began in 2017 and has since become a larger source of income than her horse-training work. Her biggest sellers are bridles, designed with the comfort of horses in mind. <\/p>\n

But those offerings could be hit with a 50 per cent tariff if the latest U.S. measures take effect.<\/p>\n

\"\"Trump tariffs B.C. small business owner Shelby Dennis is freezing holiday inventory from her B.C. equestrian company over fears of potential 50% tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. (CTV News) <\/p>\n

Dennis said the uncertainty is already affecting her decisions ahead of this year\u2019s busiest sales period, in light of what happened in 2025. <\/p>\n

\u201cI would typically be restocking for Christmas and Black Friday right now,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m not going to, because it\u2019s way too risky to \u2026 bring in a bunch of stock and not know how it\u2019s going to sell.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dennis has considered moving some inventory into the United States so it could be shipped domestically to American customers, but said doing so would create its own problems. Her bridles require quality control, she said, and a U.S.-based drop-shipping company might not have the expertise to properly inspect the products.<\/p>\n

For now, she is considering selling off existing inventory and shifting more of her business toward products that are less exposed to tariffs.<\/p>\n

\"\"Trump tariffs B.C. small business owner Shelby Dennis is freezing holiday inventory from her B.C. equestrian company over fears of potential 50% tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. (CTV News) Canadian small businesses are \u2018anxious\u2019: CFIB<\/p>\n

The uncertainty is being felt by small businesses across the country, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). <\/p>\n

\u201cIn a word, (businesses are) anxious,\u201d Ryan Mallough, CFIB vice-president of legislative affairs, told CTV News.<\/p>\n

The CFIB claims to represent more than 103,000 small businesses across Canada, and many have already spent months trying to plan for a tariff that may or may not materialize. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is, right now, you\u2019re staring down the barrel of 50 per cent tariffs if you export to the states across a multitude of products,\u201d Mallough said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Donald Trump and Mark carney U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney are seen in this combination photo. (Associated Press and Canadian Press) <\/p>\n

That uncertainty makes planning particularly difficult, he said, adding the problem comes after years of economic uncertainty kicked off by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many small businesses not in a good position to absorb another shock. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been an uncertain 18 months for a lot of business owners,\u201d Mallough said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a kind of uncertain six years. It\u2019s been a lot of crises, one after another, not a lot of time in between.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mallough said reduced consumer demand has already been a major constraint for small businesses, delaying hiring, investment and expansion decisions. For some companies, he said, another major tariff could be the final blow.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor some businesses that we have heard from, that might be at midnight tonight,\u201d Mallough said. \u201cThis 50 per cent might be it, the straw that finally breaks the camel\u2019s back.\u201d<\/p>\n

With files from CTV\u2019s Kristen Yu<\/p>\n

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