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By Ian Gustafson

U.S. Canada

RDP economics instructor says tariffs will have broad negative repercussions on Canadians

Mar 4, 2025 | 1:49 PM

A business and economics instructor at Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) says the 25 per cent tariffs implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump will have almost immediate and broad negative repercussions on Canadians.

In addition to the 25 per cent tariffs on all exported Canadian goods to the U.S., the President also included a 10 per cent tariff on energy products.

Dustin Quirk explained in an email, the tariffs will make Canadian goods more expensive in the U.S. which will reduce the overall demand for goods produced in Canada.

“Depending on how long the tariffs last, this will slow sales and production for Canadian exporting companies leading to Canadian businesses needing less workers (lost jobs) and a slowdown of our economy potentially leading to a recession,” he wrote.

The results of the tariffs, he anticipates, will hit Ontario and Quebec harder because of their larger manufacturing base and auto industry.

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This doesn’t mean central Alberta will go unaffected, however.

He explained the region, including Red Deer, will also have to deal with tariff-induced economic challenges.

The Alberta economy, he said, relies heavily on exports to the U.S., particularly in the energy and agricultural sectors.

Quirk says this could lead to potential job losses and lower revenues for local businesses and producers. He notes, this will hurt not only the economic health of the central Alberta region but also reduce provincial government revenue.

“No one (and probably President Trump himself) knows how long these tariffs will last. Many speculate they are a temporary measure to leverage negotiations with Canada on border security, immigration, and the balance of trade in general, but only time will tell,” he added.

He also explained, the tariffs will hurt Canadians as well as American consumers and businesses. Quirk says the tariffs make the goods the U.S. buys from Canada such as aluminum, steel, oil, lumber, and agriculture products, more expensive.

“It is likely that American business concerns, the stock market’s performance, and US domestic consumer pressure from inflationary fatigue will have a greater sway at changing Trump’s mind than anything that we can do as a country,” Quirk added.

The Canadian government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s response this morning by imposing retaliatory tariffs, Quirk said, is meant as a sign of strength.

However, this will only make American goods imported into Canada more expensive for Canadians, says Quirk.

“With rampant inflation these past few years, I think the last thing most of us are looking for is even higher prices, especially in the grocery store. No one wins in a trade war,” he said.

“While the situation is concerning, the provincial and federal governments are taking steps to mitigate the impact, and eventually businesses will adapt. It’s a challenging time, but it may be the ‘kick in the pants’ that Canada needs to diversify our export base and improve inter-provincial trade.

“In the meantime, central Albertans can make a difference by supporting local businesses and buying Canadian when possible.”