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CBC
28-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Book industry fears Canada's proposed counter-tariffs against U.S.-printed books will do more harm than good
As Canada looks for ways to fight back against tariffs imposed on Canadian goods by U.S. President Donald Trump, libraries, booksellers and publishers are worried Canadian-made books might be part of the plan. The government has been working to figure out what goods will be part of $125 billion worth of counter-tariff measures, and books printed stateside are on the list. "What we're looking at is an almost catastrophic hit to the Canadian book industry," said B.C.-based publisher Don Gorman. He figures these tariffs could increase the cost of books published in the United States by anywhere from five to 20 per cent — a cost he said would likely be passed on to the consumer. Smithers, B.C., librarian Wendy Wright said if 25 per cent tariffs were imposed on books printed in the United States, costs would be passed on to the consumer and libraries like hers wouldn't be able to purchase as many new books. "If we're not able to access a lot of books published in America because they're simply priced out of reach, it's going to affect libraries which have a very small fixed purchasing budget," she told CBC's Daybreak North guest host, Bill Fee. Anyone can write the government to explain why an item should or shouldn't be considered during the open comment period, which closes on April 2. Wright said she did write to the federal government explaining why books should not be part of the tariffs. "It's going to affect the type of materials that people can afford to buy. It's going to limit our options severely, and I think Canadians will be much poorer for it if we can't afford access to American thought and also Canadian books by Canadian writers that are published in the U.S." In an email to subscribers, the owners of Black Bond Books in B.C., said the tariffs would "cripple" the industry. They said the majority of books sold in Canada, including those by Canadian authors, are published by multinational publishers that use U.S. printers and warehouses. "Being forced to either absorb or pass on a 25 per cent tariff would threaten the survival of our stores and the livelihoods of thousands of Canadians working in the book industry, as well as creating an unnecessary barrier to information and learning for all Canadians," they said. Association of Canadian Publishers executive director Jack Illingworth, who represents small- to medium-sized publishers in Canada, is urging Canadians to purchase books printed in Canada — of which there are many. "There is a wealth of Canadian authored and published books for readers to choose from," he said. "For example, the most recent Canada Reads winner and runner-up, those are from Canadian-owned companies." But he's worried about what tariffs on books printed in the U.S. might mean down the road. "Our first concerns are about the prospect of American retaliation," he said. As of right now, books are not included in the 25 per cent tariffs the U.S. has imposed on Canadian goods. If that were to happen, even more book-related businesses would suffer. Additionally, he wants Canada to keep "culture off the table" during trade disputes. "Also, on behalf of our colleagues in bookselling, we know that the booksellers, the majority of the books they sell are imported. They feel it would be tremendously impactful on their viability, and we need viable booksellers to sell our books through." Illingworth said he has met with the federal Department of Finance and Global Affairs Canada, where he believes they heard his concerns — but still isn't sure they'll follow through. "They weren't able to make any firm commitments," he said.
CBC
01-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Canadian publishing industry hopeful books will be exempt from U.S. tariffs
As Canada and Mexico await final details on U.S. tariffs that may be imposed next week, Canadian publishers say they are "cautiously optimistic." Association of Canadian Publishers executive director Jack Illingworth said he's hopeful books will be exempt, should the tariffs actually materialize. "Everyone's nervous, no one knows quite what to expect. Personally, I am cautiously optimistic that books will end up exempt from any tariffs that are imposed," Illingworth said. "The word cautious is doing a lot of work there." Illingworth suggested that, on average, the U.S. makes up about half of any given Canadian independent publisher's retail marketplace, but said that can vary greatly between companies. "The U.S. is a really, truly important market." WATCH | Publishers preparing for possibility of tariffs on books: B.C. independent publishers worry about 25% U.S. tariffs 3 days ago Duration 7:31 Don Gorman, the publisher of Rocky Mountain Books in Victoria, said Canada exports between $40 and $50 million worth of books to the U.S. each year. He said if U.S. tariffs were to go ahead next week, publishers may have to raise their retail prices. Earlier this week, the Trump administration said North America-wide tariffs aren't a done deal — yet. But President Donald Trump himself said "the tariffs are going forward on time, on schedule." If they do go into effect next week, there is some reason to believe books will be exempt. The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), established in 1977, authorizes the president of the United States to control international economic transactions amid a threat to the U.S., and protects what are known as "informational materials." That can include items such as publications, films, posters, phonograph records, photographs, microfilms, microfiche, tapes, compact disks, CD ROMs and art. The act was last updated Jan. 30, 2024. But, as Rocky Mountain Books publisher Don Gorman pointed out, Trump might not honour the IEEPA. "The person in power in the U.S. right now is not necessarily one to adhere to laws, rules, regulations or common sense, so there's a very good chance that he could decide to overturn that or ignore it." So, it's all very unclear. Gorman said the uncertainty has left publishers scrambling to prepare for the worst-case scenario — which right now, would be a 25 per cent tariff charged against the production cost of books. "A number of [publishers] came up with strategies of putting books into the U.S. prior to the tariffs taking effect, which meant front-loading books into our U.S. warehouses," he said. "Books that were already in the U.S. prior to the tariff declaration would be exempt from tariffs." He said he's also considered increasing the cost of books. But, Illingworth pointed out, consumers aren't keen on paying more for books. "Your typical reader doesn't really want to pay a whole lot more than $20.00 for a trade paperback," he said. Illingworth said a price increase of just $2 per book could be enough to dissuade booksellers or libraries from purchasing it. Both Gorman and Illingworth are urging Canadian consumers to buy Canadian books, written by Canadian authors, published by Canadian publishers, and from local bookstores to help offset any costs that may arise if and when tariffs are imposed. "Go into your bookstore, go into your library, ensure that the books in your children's classrooms are published by Canadian publishers," Gorman said. "We need to find ways to increase exposure and sales of Canadian published books in this country."
