Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may be taking a 鈥渃ooler heads鈥� approach to the barrage of insults from U.S. President Donald Trump and his top aides as Canada-U.S. trade tensions thicken, but consumers north of the border are proving less stoic.
Scores of shoppers and travellers are mounting strikes against America鈥檚 pocketbook by boycotting U.S. goods and trips to the States. On Twitter, hashtags including #BuyCanadian, #BoycottUSProducts and #BoycottUSA are spreading tips on using purchasing power to defend Canada鈥檚 honour.
Trump鈥檚 trade rhetoric turned personal after Trudeau鈥檚 closing news conference at the G7 summit in Quebec last Saturday. Trudeau said he had pushed back against the Trump administration鈥檚 tariffs on steel and aluminum, and insisted Canada would 鈥渘ot be pushed around鈥� on trade.
Those comments prompted a Twitter tirade from Trump in which he referred to Trudeau as 鈥渄ishonest鈥� and 鈥渨eak,鈥� and later said Trudeau鈥檚 remarks would cost 鈥渁 lot of money for the people of Canada.鈥� Top Trump aides followed his lead. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said 鈥渢here鈥檚 a special place in hell鈥� for Trudeau. A remark he later called a 鈥渕istake.鈥�
In response, one Ottawa man proudly tweeted a on Sunday. Others are refusing to buy Kentucky bourbon, California wine and Florida oranges, and ignoring major U.S. brands such as Starbucks, Walmart, and McDonald's.
Trudeau appeared to acknowledge the swell of support at an event for supply-managed farmers near Parliament Hill on Tuesday.
"There's a bit of a patriotic boost going on these past few days," he said to laughs from a table of stakeholders gathered under a tent.
Summer vacations have also been a focal point for patriotic protestors, with numerous commenters bragging about cancelled voyages to the U.S. in favour of keeping travel dollars at home.
鈥淔*** you Trump. . Happy anniversary to us. #Canadastrong #BuyCanadian #F***Tariffs,鈥� tweeted one angry user.
The number of , according to Statistics Canada. In 2016,
鈥� this summer and step up our purchases of Canadian products and services. #BuyCanadian #AcheterCanadien #VacationCanada #VacancesCanada,鈥� wrote another user.
While Canadians may take pride in putting down their Jim Beam whiskey in favour of J.P. Wiser鈥檚 Deluxe rye from Windsor, Ont., a group representing Canadian retailers warns there are limits to such substitutions.
Still, there is little denying Canada鈥檚 importance when it comes to U.S. exports. , importing a total of US$98.9 billion in the first four months of 2018, according data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The extent to which Canadians are willing to do without American products has yet to be seen. But if the online fervor for punishing Trump at the checkout line persists, it may serve as a reminder of Canada鈥檚 economic heft.
鈥淔ellow Canadians. Now is a good time to #buylocal. Now is a good time to #boycottUSproducts,鈥� wrote . 鈥淚t鈥檚 time to send a clear message to all the meek republican politicians and Trump voters #BoycottUSA #buyCanadian.鈥�
