In recent weeks Ben Plett, the owner of Sunny Day Products, based in Winkler, has had to pay close attention to the complexities surrounding international trade between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. He offers a candid look at the challenges his business could face should new tariffs be on the horizon, and what that could mean for both his company and his customers.
As a business that imports products from both the U.S. and Mexico, Plett shares what the upcoming trade decisions could mean for Sunny Day.
“If the tariffs do come into play, anything, including food, would be on the list of products that would be a 25% tariff charge coming from the USA into Canada. So, there is quite a bit of product that we do get that is from the U.S.”
With this looming uncertainty, Plett is exploring alternatives to mitigate the potential impact.
“We do import directly with Mexico as of right now as well. So any products that we can get from outside of the U.S., mostly out of Mexico, then we would have to go more and more that route,” he shared.
According to Plett, those goods imported from Mexico, at this point, aren’t where his concerns lie, should those direct routes from Mexico remain exempt. However, he shared that the uncertainty of what the future could bring does make it difficult to know for sure.
“I think the biggest feeling that comes to mind would be nervousness.”
While Plett is looking for ways to adjust, he’s also maintaining open lines of communication with his suppliers in the U.S., mentioning how they feel about the whole thing.
“It wouldn’t be something they’re wanting. We’ve had such a good relationship with so many of my suppliers in the States for, you know, we’ve been in business for 27 years now and they definitely… They don’t have a good feeling about it either, they don’t like where this is going.”
He admitted that the thought was solely from the feedback he had been getting from people he had spoken with and went on to say that after the challenges the pandemic brought, the thought of price hikes trickling down to customers is something Plett and his suppliers want to avoid.
In light of these challenges, Plett also touched on the importance of supporting local businesses, and that there is a lot that people can do to help. He referenced the many different local products his store carries that would keep money in the area, rather than leaving the country.
“I would just encourage them to come and support local small businesses like myself and try to keep the dollars in Canada if at all possible and see how we can beat this.”
Plett’s focus on alternative sourcing strategies and the maintaining of supplier relationships reflects the practical steps businesses are needing to take to adapt to the volatile landscape they will be facing in the coming months.