‘Very difficult’: Calgary jewelry maker set to lose customers amid trade war

Jewelry maker Cindy Baldassi says she is expecting to lose roughly half of her customers as the trade war between Canada and the United States heats up.

“ I have to start looking on how I can increase my sales elsewhere or my income,” said Baldassi in a phone interview on Sunday from her home in Calgary.

Baldassi’s online shop, CindyLouWho2, is among the businesses across Canada that were hit by American tariffs on Saturday after trade talks between Canada and the United States failed the night before.

The 50 per cent tariff affects Canadian exports worth more than $20 billion, including various gold, silver and imitation jewelry.

Baldassi said that 75 per cent of buyers purchasing her sterling silver, stone and dinosaur fossil jewelry were American.

She’s stressed, she said, but feels Prime Minister Mark Carney did good by pulling away from negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration and pledging to retaliate.

“We should fight back,” she said, “even though that is actually going to be very difficult on a lot of Canadians.”

Carney told a news conference Saturday that he called off trade talks Friday night because the Americans offered a “bad deal” and were pushing terms he found unacceptable.

Ottawa will match Washington’s tariffs dollar-for-dollar beginning next month, Carney said, targeting sectors such as steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper and electronics.

When asked Saturday if Canada was in a trade war with its southern neighbour, he said, “Yes, that’s obvious.”

Baldassi suspended her sales to the United States over the weekend and is now scrambling to update prices on her online shop, and reaching out to American clients to notify them of the price changes.

“For example, if I have a $35 pair of earrings, then that’s another $17.50 that has to be added for American customers only,” she said, noting the uncertainty of what’s ahead is frustrating.

“I’ve already gone through the five stages of grief. I’m at acceptance already.”

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce said Saturday the trade war will affect nearly 100,000 jobs across the country, but it stands firm with Carney’s decision.