Watrous business selling U.S. products taking direct hit from tariffs

A Saskatchewan couple’s business is facing the full brunt of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Kelvin Fellner and his girlfriend Jenny own Hugsy’s Place in Watrous — a shop that sells mostly U.S. snacks and products that can only be purchased in America.

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Fellner drives down to the U.S. once a week to stock up on supplies to take back home and sell in Saskatchewan, usually with little to no problems.

But he said in the last month when he was returning to Canada  operations at the border were a little different.

“It started there a month ago. We had a meeting with the border to figure out how to even calculate the tariff on our border crossing papers, then they put a hold on it (the product) for 30 days,” he said.

“I went down Wednesday, I came back Thursday and we got hit with a tariff of 25 per cent. There was 1,265 items on the tariff list, which (included) 100 per cent of the items we carry in our store,” Fellner added.

On March 4, the 25-per-cent tariffs on goods coming from the United States being imported into Canada was implemented.

Fellner said the tariffs cost him an extra $500 for his trip down south.

Hugsy’s Place in Watrous sells mostly U.S. snacks and products that can only be purchased in America. (Kelvin Fellner/Submitted)

“The sugars were a high one. Our Oreo cookies that we sell, I got dinged $51.01 just to bring my cookies across.”

Fellner admits the tariffs will have a direct impact on his wallet, but will not raise his prices.

“We are keeping our prices where they are before the tariffs came in, because personally I don’t think it’s going to last,” Fellner stated.

Although there has been a big “buy Canadian” movement throughout the country, Fellner said people in Watrous are still supporting his business. Some want the American products, but he admits others aren’t interested in them.

He said there was one couple who wouldn’t buy anything from the American portion of the store, but would buy his local coffee and eventually walked out with over $100 in goods purchased.

“They don’t want to support America, but these people want to support a Saskatchewan business owner,” Fellner said.

Read more:

• Poilievre suggests 50 per cent metal tariffs on U.S. after latest Trump threat
• Saskatchewan steel companies already feeling impacts of tariffs war