It has been nearly a month since the counter-tariffs were imposed by the Canadian government on U.S. goods.
Most household products such as ketchup, pizza, yogurt and toilet paper saw a price increase of 10 per cent.
Economic professor at UNBC Leandro Freyljer says low-income families in Northern B.C. are being impacted the most.
“I think 10 per cent is a significant increase. It doesn’t sound like a big number but when you look at grocery store bills and the type of consumer goods that are included in this list, it’s going to have a huge impact especially for low-income people.”
He adds some commodities can easily be switched by the retailer, but that depends if companies in the north are willing to introduce substitutes.
This is also having an impact on the job market creating another barrier for low-income families looking for another job.
“The Canadian producers give a very small share to the Canadian economy because the Americans have a bigger stake in Canada. So, there isn’t going to be an increase in employment because we put a barrier on American products.”
There seems to be no end in sight as the Trump administration is threatening to slap tariffs on Canada’s the auto sector.
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