Canadian sports fans over the weekend expressed their displeasure about the now-paused American tariffs on their goods by booing the American national anthem.
Fans at games for the Toronto Raptors, Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks booed the anthem after President Donald Trump implemented broad 25% tariffs on Canadian goods to punish the country for, in his view, trade imbalances and for not cracking down on the flow of illegal immigration and fentanyl. Trump also enacted 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and 10% tariffs on imports from China. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded by announcing massive retaliatory tariffs over the weekend on American goods, sparking fears of a trade war.
But the war did not last long: The Trump administration on Monday paused the Mexican and Canadian tariffs for at least 30 days after both countries committed 10,000 “frontline personnel” to secure the southern and northern borders, respectively.
Economists had feared potential negative consequences from the tariffs: Canada and Mexico are some of the United States’ biggest trading partners, totaling $1.8 trillion in business between the three nations in 2023. And, historically, businesses pass on the increased costs of goods caused by tariffs to consumers.
