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Bill Kelly: Be careful where you direct your tariff anger

Click to play video: 'Trump accuses cross-border shopping Canadians of being smugglers'
Trump accuses cross-border shopping Canadians of being smugglers
U.S. President Donald Trump continues to stoke tension over trade with Canada. He even went on the record, saying Canadians are accustomed to smuggling American goods across the border. Eric Sorensen reports – Jun 19, 2018

OK, we’re all upset about Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum and his threat to target auto sector products with more tariffs.

But we need to be careful how we, as consumers, direct our anger.

Case in point is the idea of boycotting Canadian stores that sell products connected with Trump and his family. That list would include The Hudson Bay Company and Winners, among others.

REALITY CHECK: No, Canadians aren’t ‘smuggling’ shoes across the border due to ‘massive’ tariffs

The problem with that idea is that if retail sales decline in those stores, the first victims would be the employees of those stores. Those employees are members of our community, and it would be foolish to make them collateral damage in our war against Trump’s tariff tirade.

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The more sensible tactic would be simply, don’t buy Trump products when you shop at those stores — product which, by the way, most of us are already avoiding. Retail sales of Trump men’s and women’s fashion are so bad that most lines have been discontinued.

READ MORE: Buy Canadian? Some considering boycott amid tariffs imposed by Donald Trump

Besides, if you’re in a boycotting frame of mind, you could have a much more effective impact if you stopped buying products like orange juice, or Tennessee whisky and tried to buy Canadian whenever possible.

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Nobody wins in a trade war and the longer it drags on, the worse it will be for both economies.

That’s why we need to be strategic in our response and not unwittingly harm the Canadian jobs we’re trying to protect.

Bill Kelly is the host of Bill Kelly Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML.
 

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