Some businesses seeing tariff impacts now, consumers may feel it later

The increase isn’t affecting the entire business, however. Kokotailo said Windsor Plywood has been able to limit the impact.

“Everything else has kind of been not too bad as we do source or try to source most of our stuff Canadian anyways,” he said.

Eventually, though, he expects some of the increases will reach consumers.

“I do believe in the end result, the consumer definitely is going to be paying more for that for sure,” he said.

The experience has so far been different at Leon’s in Prince Albert, where the retailer hasn’t changed prices in response to the latest tariff measures.

Owner Dean Pellegrini said manufacturers may have already purchased materials such as lumber, foam and springs before the latest changes, meaning it could take months for any additional costs to work their way through the supply chain.

“Nothing is happening this very second,” Pellegrini said.

But if the tariffs remain in place, price increases could eventually follow.

“If it sticks, if it actually happens and sticks and goes forward, then we could see some price increases down the road,” he said.

Canada announced new tariffs on $27.6 billion worth of U.S. goods Tuesday in response to the latest U.S. trade measures. The counter-tariffs, which take effect Sept. 8, include rates of 15, 25 and 50 per cent, depending on the product.

For Saskatchewan consumers, however, those tariffs won’t necessarily appear as a simple surcharge at the cash register. Both Pellegrini and Kokotailo said costs can move through manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and retailers before eventually reaching consumers, and the impact can vary depending on the product and where it comes from.

That means someone buying building materials today may already be paying more for some products, while someone shopping for a couch may not see any difference yet.

For consumers, the question now is how long that lasts, and whether more price increases are still on the way.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

by paNOW Staff

Some businesses seeing tariff impacts now, consumers may feel it later

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