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Canadians are ready to stop coming to the U.S.

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The dispute over tariffs has angered Canadians so much that a new poll shows a majority of Canadians are willing to boycott American businesses and avoid traveling to the United States.

Starting at the beginning of June, the Trump Administration slapped a 25% tariff on the import of Canadian steel and a 10% tariff on the import of Canadian Aluminum.

Canada retaliated with its own tariffs on July 1st.  More the 100 U.S. steel products face a Canadian surtax of 25% and a surtax of 10% has been added on the import of 70 other categories of American products like toffee, maple syrup, coffee beans and strawberry jam.

In a new poll, conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News and The Globe and Mail, a majority of Canadians say they are willing to respond to a trade war with the U.S. by boycotting American products and avoiding travel to the United States.

You can read the full poll here:

http://www.nanos.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-1227-1229-Globe-and-CTV-June-Report-1-Trade-war-for-release.pdf

That could have a big impact on the tourism and shopping industry locally - especially places like the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls that see a large number of Canadian shoppers annually.

"I wish it were not the case.  We have always had a great relationship with our friends to the north," said Dottie Gallagher, President and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

Gallagher said the Canadian dollar is extremely important to this region when it comes to shopping and entertainment.  "Fourteen percent of the Bills season ticket holders are Canadian as are the Sabres," added Gallagher.

While much of the attention has focused on steel and aluminum, Dottie Gallagher said exports from NYS, like bakery items, could take a hit.  "When you talk about impact on Buffalo, 40% of our members in the Buffalo Niagara Partnership say they either have customers or supply-chain relationships in Canada."

Over the past few years, Canadian shoppers have fallen off due to a week Canadian dollar.  However, those numbers are now climbing back up, explained Town of Niagara Supervisor Lee Wallace.  The supervisor worries that a Canadian boycott could hurt areas like the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls which generates the majority of Niagara County's sale tax - money that is shared with all Niagara County municipalities.  As to the poll and boycott feeling in Canada, "Not good at all," said Supervisor Wallace.

7 Eyewitness News Reporter Ed Reilly has more in his report.

 

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