Trump’s latest tariff threats against Canada have caused a stir, getting strong reactions from politicians, businesses, and regular people. He says the U.S. has been treated ‘unfairly’ and has floated the idea of matching Canadian tariffs dollar-for-dollar.
But that’s not all — he’s also talking about slapping a massive 250% tariff on some grocery items. People on both sides of the border aren’t happy, and Canadian businesses are fighting back in creative ways.
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One small but powerful act of protest? Some cafés have decided to rename the ‘Americano’ coffee as the ‘Canadiano’ — a little jab at Trump’s policies and a way to show defiance.
Trump justifies the new tariffs by accusing Canada of unfair trade
Trump claims the U.S. has been getting the short end of the stick when it comes to trade with Canada, and now he’s ready to hit back.
Yesterday (March 7), speaking from the Oval Office, he told reporters Canada has been ‘ripping us off for years’ and that he’s thinking about pushing a tariff ten times harsher than the current 25% on Canadian products.
“Canada has been ripping us off for years on lumber and on dairy products,” he said.
Trump points to Canada’s dairy tariffs as a reason for retaliation
Trump is especially unhappy about the way Canada handles dairy imports. He says they have tariffs as high as 241% on U.S. dairy. But in reality, that only kicks in if U.S. exports go over a certain limit.
Canada does this to protect its own dairy farmers, but American farmers say it’s unfair and hurts their business.
U.S. lawmakers and dairy farmers push back against Canada’s trade policies
After a trade dispute panel under the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) ruled in Canada’s favor, some U.S. politicians weren’t happy.
Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin slammed the decision. “Wisconsin dairy farmers work hard every day to bring world-class products to market, and they deserve a level playing field with their global competitors,” she said.
“This decision flies in the face of the agreement our country made with Canada and puts our Made in Wisconsin dairy products at a disadvantage.”
Trump threatens to impose tariffs in response
Now Trump says he’s ready to hit Canada with tariffs of his own.
“We may do it as early as today, or we’ll wait until Monday or Tuesday,” he said yesterday (March 7). “We’re going to charge the same thing. It’s not fair. It never has been fair, and they’ve treated our farmers badly.”
Canada responds to Trump’s accusations
Canada isn’t staying quiet. Trade Minister Mary Ng fired back, saying Trump’s claims were just not true.
“I learned about it just as I was walking into this press conference,” Ng told reporters. “These tariffs, if imposed in that order of magnitude, are completely unjustified.”
Canadian cafés turn Americanos into ‘Canadianos’ in protest
Coffee shops across Canada have started serving ‘Canadianos’ instead of ‘Americanos’—a small but clear way to push back against Trump’s latest trade moves.
The name change is a spin on the Americano, an espresso shot with hot water, and cafés in British Columbia and Ontario have already made the switch.
This isn’t just about showing off Canadian pride — it’s a direct protest against U.S. trade policies.
Café owners explain the idea behind the Canadiano
“We aren’t necessarily aiming to be political. But we love the idea of really just supporting Canadian pride,” said Elizabeth Watson, who owns Palisades Café in British Columbia.
She told The Washington Post that the idea came after Kicking Horse Coffee, a coffee company based in British Columbia, suggested it on social media earlier this month.
Businesses and customers embrace the movement
Kicking Horse Coffee says they’ve actually been calling it the ‘Canadiano’ quietly for 16 years. But now, they’ve decided to make it official.
They shared a photo of a menu sign with the new name and said, “We’re officially making it a thing.”
Watson says customers are loving it, and more people have been ordering the drink just because of the name.
Other businesses use food and drink to make a statement
Todd Simpson, who owns Morning Owl in Ottawa, also jumped on the trend, renaming the drink to “make light of a serious situation.”
“We don’t need any American products right now,” he told CTV News. “It seems like a really good way to say we’re Canadian.”
Earlier this month, Montreal’s Fairmount Bagel rolled out red-and-white “Canadian bagels,” as reported by The Gazette.
Rhonda Shlafman, the shop’s co-owner, told The Gazette’s Bill Brownstein that they felt the need to take a stand, just like many others in the food business.
“Our bagels, like our country, can’t be taken over by U.S. interests,” she said.
She also pointed out how American tourists have been raving about their bagels for years. “Just ask them — they love our bagels. Our bagels are Canada strong, the best anywhere.”
Some businesses swap out American products entirely
Other businesses have gone even further, replacing U.S. products with local alternatives.
Carol Ann McDevitt, owner of the Roaring ’20s B&B in New Brunswick, told The Canadian Press that instead of serving orange juice (which often comes from Florida), they’re now giving guests local apple cider instead.
“It just seemed very unfair. It was unprovoked, and we should do what we can to support our local communities,” McDevitt said. Some guests have even said they prefer the cider.
The pushback against Trump’s tariffs isn’t just coming from politicians — it’s happening in everyday life, too. From coffee to bagels to breakfast drinks, Canadian businesses are finding small but creative ways to stand their ground.
Whether or not Trump follows through with his threats, one thing is clear: Canadians aren’t backing down without a fight.
