The U.S. boycott remains strong. Why many Canadians are digging in their
It’s shaping up to be a record sales year at Maker House, an Ottawa gift shop where almost everything in the store — from furniture to food to greeting cards — is entirely made in Canada.
Hot sellers these days include a T-shirt with the newly iconic “elbows up” slogan, and chocolate bars wrapped in quintessential Canadian expressions such as “eh.”
Founder Gareth Davies says year-over-year sales surged by 150 per cent in February, when U.S. President Donald Trump first announced plans to impose tariffs on Canadian goods, and ramped up his threats to make Canada the 51st state.
At the time, many Canadians pledged to boycott U.S. travel and goods, and support the Buy Canadian movement as a way to express their anger.
Davies says sales since then have continued to stay strong: they’re currently up by 80 per cent, and almost doubled during the week leading up to Canada Day.
“It’s like a big hug from your neighbours across the country saying, ‘You know, we’re in this together and we’re going to protect our country and our economy,'” he said. “I, in my gut, believe it will last as long as the vitriol lasts from the south.”
Boycotts often wane over time as people lose interest and return to old habits. But many Canadians’ resolve to boycott the U.S. and focus on Canadian products has remained strong, and shows no signs of dissipating.
A majority of Canadians polled in a new survey said they’re actively supporting the Buy Canadian movement, and support stores removing U.S. products. Plus, Canadian travel to the U.S. has steadily declined since Trump took office in January.
Trump can take much of the credit, as he continues to muse about Canada becoming the 51st state and threaten new tariffs; just this week he announced plans to impose a 50 per cent tariff on copper.
“He’s actually keeping it top of mind. He’s keeping the boycott going,” said June Cotte, a professor of marketing at Western University’s Ivey Business School in London.
She added the media helps fuel the boycott by giving Trump airtime every time he takes pot shots at Canada.
The National talks to actor-comedian Mike Myers about what inspired his ‘elbows up’ moment on SNL and his continued gratitude for Canada.
The travel boycott
Rather than wane, the Canadian boycott of U.S. travel continues to hold.
In June, the number of return trips among Canadians travelling to the U.S. dropped by 22.1 per cent for air travel and by a third (33.1 per cent) for land travel — marking the sixth month of year-over-year declines. The decreases for both types of travel were not as pronounced as in May, but the numbers remain jarringly low.
Cotte says another reason for the boycott’s staying power…
Read More: The U.S. boycott remains strong. Why many Canadians are digging in their