The trade war has moved from the liquor stores to the hockey rink.
Five months after American forward Jack Hughes scored the gold-medal-winning goal against Canada at the Olympics, U.S. President Donald Trump effectively scored an own goal against his country on Monday by announcing that hockey sticks — along with several other Canadian goods — would be subject to a 50 percent tariff.
The decision, which takes place in less than 30 days, is largely symbolic in nature.
It’s difficult to find something that is more distinctly Canadian than hockey. The sport is not just the national pastime; it’s practically every Canadian’s national birthright.
And yet, the overall effect of this latest retaliatory tariff is likely going to hurt Americans more than Canadians, who will be hit with rising costs in a category that is dominated by Canadian companies.
Many of those companies are producing sticks that are manufactured in Asian-based countries. The lone exception is Roustan Hockey, which not only owns The Hockey News but is also the only stick manufacturer based in Canada.
Roustan could not be reached for comment.
Each year, Roustan Hockey’s Brantford, Ont., based factory produces about 400,000 traditional wood sticks. Of those, half are sold in the U.S.
It’s a small amount when compared to the other goods hit by this latest tariff, which include wine and cement. But for many hockey families, the White House’s new policy will make an already expensive sport even more costly to play in the U.S.
After all, there is no Made In The USA hockey stick.
As with Kentucky Bourbon, which has been pulled off the shelves in Ontario and Quebec in response to the ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States, there is no alternative to buying a Canadian-made hockey stick. And so, just like every other tariff, it's consumers who will ultimately have the tariffs passed on to them in increasing costs.
“President Trump took decisive action to hold Canada accountable for its retaliation and discrimination,” United States trade representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement, adding that the new measures are a direct response to provincial bans on U.S. liquor, Canada’s supply-managed dairy system and quotas on certain U.S. vehicles.
Earlier this month, the White House said it would not renew the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, better known as USMCA.
“In response to these measures and threats to Canadian sovereignty, provinces, territories, and Canadians from coast to coast to coast have stood together, taking the necessary actions to support our economy and defend our workers, farmers, businesses, and families,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford added in a social media post:"If these tariffs proceed, Canada should respond tariff for tariff, dollar for dollar.”
In other words, we could be headed towards a bench-clearing brawl.
The fact that this latest tariff comes at a time when hockey in the U.S. has never been more popular is unfortunate. This year saw the American men and women both win gold at the Olympics.
It was also a year when three of the NHL’s top-10 goal-scorers were born in the U.S. and when the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup.
All that momentum, however, is in danger of coming to a stop with the White House’s latest tariff target.
As we all know, it’s the consumer who feels the brunt of all tariffs. Stick prices have continually risen over the years. But now that sticks coming from Canada are being tariffed, those costs are going to rise like never before.
Ultimately, it’s hockey families who will pay the price. And for a league that is so reliant on Americans taking up the sport to boost popularity and overall revenue, the long-term effects could be catastrophic.
However, it's hockey families — specifically, those in the United States — who will pay the biggest price for this latest retaliatory measure.