Cross-border shoppers already feeling impact of U.S. tariffs

CBC

06-03-2025

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Residents of the border town of St. Stephen are used to crossing the line over to Calais, Maine — sometimes daily — for everything from visiting friends and family to shopping for necessities like groceries and gas.
But those cross-border habits are being put to the test this week, after the U.S. imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports on Monday at midnight
St. Stephen Mayor Allan MacEachern said with the poor exchange rate because of the low Canadian dollar, duties and now tariffs, the deals that were once available across the border have dried up.
"The math is telling us at this time, support your own," he said. "I don't want to hurt my neighbour in Calais, Maine, because we are one community, but we have to go through this painful process right now and stay united. It's just what we have to do."
Kayla Dempsey lives in St. Stephen and crosses into the U.S. several times a week.
"I go over to Walmart. They have different groceries and stuff like that. And there's a fitness class I go to over there, too, [and] just to get gas."
Now, she said she plans to cut back on those round trips.
"Other than getting gas in my vehicle, I won't be crossing anymore. It's just too expensive with the exchange rate and then the additional tariffs, it's just really not worth it anymore."
WATCH | Costs of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs already affecting N.B. shoppers:
Brenda Hatt also used to frequently cross the border from St. Stephen, but not anymore. She said she stopped going to the U.S. "as soon as Donald Trump got in."
She used to go over to Walmart to get groceries, but said instead she'll drive the hour and a half to Fredericton.
Even if the tariffs are lifted, she said she has no plans to cross the border, on principle.
Colby Lomax said he just returned from watching Sidney Crosby play in two Pittsburgh Penguins home games. But unlike previous trips to the U.S., he had nothing to declare.
"I definitely wanted to buy some Pittsburgh merchandise down there," Lomax said. "But ... It wasn't worth it at all."
He said he also prefers shopping in the states because "they have a lot more protein options. So I usually like going over there to do my meal preps and stuff. But we'll have to make do with what we have over here for the time being."
He said he hopes they come to a solution very soon.
"These are our neighbours. So hopefully we can go back to being friendly neighbours."
Barb Rideout, who also lives in St. Stephen, was walking across the bridge to Calais on Tuesday, doing for her usual loop. She said it's a bit of a "way of life in St. Stephen."
She said she does her shopping in the U.S., attends her fitness activities there, and takes her vacations in the U.S. as well. And with family and friends in Calais, she'll continue to cross the border.
Even with the tariffs and exchange, Rideout believes there are still deals to be had.
She said when a container of blueberries costs $10 in St. Stephen, "I can go over there [Calais] and I can buy twice the amount for the same price."
"So I'm going to go and spend my money where I feel it's going to profit me," she said.
She also feels "it's important to still support the local small businesses that have no choice" in the matter and "are going to be feeling the strain."
Close ties with Calais
MacEachern said the impact of the tariffs hits differently for border towns like St. Stephen.
"It's easier for someone to talk tariffs and talk dollars and cents when you're further away from it. But we're living it.
"Some people's parents live over there, their family friends. It's different for us here. All I can say is we're still connected here and it's going to be very challenging for us."
They even sometimes share fire services, he said. "When we fight a fire, we're fighting fires for them and they're fighting fires for us."
It's important to keep a united front, he said, "but still show compassion and love for our community next door."
MacEachern said he would like to see the leaders step away from the cameras and have some hard discussions.