Tariffs Canada & Barrie: 1)Tariffs have some mom-and-pop manufacturers considering move to United States; 2)Barrie businesses look to pivot as tariff uncertainty hangs over local economy; 3) Tariffs and Barrie businesses

1)Tariffs have some mom-and-pop manufacturers considering move to United States

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Brett Bundale, Sept. 4, 2026.

A Canadian Muskoka chair maker hit hard by U.S. tariffs is considering moving the bulk of its manufacturing to the United States.

DFC Woodworks Inc. has been making outdoor wooden patio furniture including Muskoka chairs — also called Adirondack chairs — since 1955.

The Kemptville, Ont., company exports about 70 per cent of its furniture to the United States, but those goods are now subject to a steep 50 per cent U.S. duty.

The family-run business is now saddled with a hefty tariff bill and a looming decision about whether to keep absorbing the costs, raise prices and risk U.S. sales falling to zero, or move the majority of its manufacturing south of the border, DFC Woodworks president François Bruneau said in an interview.

“It’s damned if we do, damned if we don’t,” he said. “If we raise prices, it will make us non-competitive and sales will go down. If we don’t, the tariffs will sink us.”

The Muskoka chair maker’s dilemma illustrates the challenges facing many Canadian small- and medium-sized enterprises, said Fen Hampson, international affairs professor at Carleton University.

“There are lots of small mom-and-pop operations, very small businesses, and they are highly dependent on the U.S. market,” Hampson said. “If a large portion of their production is exported to the U.S., a big tariff could put them out of business.”

Smaller manufacturers may lack the financial resources, diversified markets and specialized trade expertise that allow larger corporations to weather a trade war, he said.

DFC Woodworks, which operates under brand names The Best Adirondack Chair Co. and The Best Muskoka Chair Co., currently makes all its outdoor patio furniture — including swings, bar sets, dining tables and rocking chairs — in Ontario using B.C. western red cedar and eastern select pine.

It’s now reluctantly contemplating downsizing its Canadian operation and moving manufacturing for its U.S. customers to the southeastern United States.

“It’s a difficult decision,” Bruneau said. “We did some preliminary explorations in North Carolina.”

He adds: “It’s not something we take lightly. It’s just the economics are difficult and getting worse.”

Tariffs on the company’s furniture exports to the U.S. will cost DFC Woodworks about $75,000 on existing orders over the next eight weeks — costs that Bruneau said he cannot pass on to customers.

DFC Woodworks vice-president Dina Elatawi, who is married to Bruneau, said the buy Canadian movement has boosted the company’s domestic sales over the last two years.

“It’s helped us stay abreast,” she said. “We’re so happy that Canadians are supporting us and rallying behind us.”

However, the federal government could do more to support small businesses, Elatawi said.

“The financial compensations that they’re doing for businesses to help us through this hard time, none of them really relate to us because we’re either too small or we don’t have the money to match dollar for dollar,” she said. “We’re really in a pickle.”

DFC Woodworks has diversified in recent years, growing sales to Europe with plans to export to Japan, Elatawi said.

“We are trying to diversify,” she said. “But the United States is our biggest market.”

Moving manufacturing for U.S. sales to North Carolina would require sourcing wood from Oregon and Washington, Bruneau said.

While furniture sold to Canadian customers would continue to be manufactured in Ontario using Canadian wood, the change would mean downsizing the Kemptville operation.

“It would definitely have a devastating effect for the Canadian side here, since the majority of our manufacturing is for U.S. sales,” Elatawi said. “We might have to do some layoffs and have a smaller shop.”

She added: “We’ve never in our lives ever, ever contemplated that this could happen. I feel so sad.”

2)Barrie businesses look to pivot as tariff uncertainty hangs over local economy

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Staff, September 4, 2026

As businesses across Barrie and Simcoe County continue to assess the impact of U.S. tariffs and Canada’s planned counter-tariffs, local business leaders say uncertainty remains the biggest challenge.

Paul Markle, president of the Barrie Chamber of Commerce, said the region’s manufacturing base leaves many businesses exposed to potential trade disruptions, although the effects will vary significantly from one company to another.

“We know, just based on the items that are on the 338 tariffs, that there are about sixty-nine businesses in Barrie manufacturing, all different sectors, that have either a very high or moderate to low impact from the tariffs,” Markle told Barrie 360. “Because of the amount of advanced manufacturing, plastics, packaging, transportation, just being where we’re positioned, we’re highly exposed to tariffs, and there will certainly be an impact from that.”

While large employers often dominate discussions around tariffs, Markle said many small and medium-sized businesses in the region are also affected.

The good news, he said, is that many companies are drawing on lessons learned during the pandemic. Businesses that previously faced supply chain disruptions have already begun diversifying suppliers and expanding into new markets.

“What I found from talking with most of our bigger manufacturing businesses is that because of what had happened through the pandemic and through the earlier stages of this tariff war, they’ve found ways to diversify their supply chain as well as their markets,” Markle said.

That ability to adapt, or pivot, could prove critical as businesses look for ways to offset higher costs and preserve profitability.

In some cases, tariffs may even create opportunities.

Markle pointed to one local business owner who imports goods and is watching competitors exit the market amid the uncertainty.

“I spoke with a local business owner that works with goods that are imported, and her competitors, there’s a fire sale on products,” he said. “For that individual business owner, there’s now an opportunity, if there’s enough money in the bank, to be able to buy some of that supply or that stock at a discount.”

The business could also benefit from reduced competition if rival companies decide to scale back or close operations.

Listen below to our interview with Chamber of Commerce President Paul Markle, it’s the first item.

Still, Markle cautioned that not every business will be able to weather the storm. Some may face layoffs, while others continue to struggle with labour shortages. The impact, he said, is highly industry-specific.

More concerning than the tariffs themselves is the uncertainty surrounding future trade policy.

“It’s absolutely the uncertainty,” Markle said when asked what worries business owners most.

He noted that even businesses with little direct exposure to cross-border trade can be affected as higher transportation, shipping and supply costs work their way through the economy.

“Those rising input costs, the cost of trucking, the cost of getting goods to the back door, they result in higher prices going across the counter,” he said. “Ultimately, these things trickle down…they’re gonna trickle down into your pocketbook.”

Federal and provincial governments have announced support programs aimed at helping businesses respond to tariff-related pressures and explore new markets. Markle welcomed the assistance, though he acknowledged some smaller businesses may not qualify for certain funding streams.

In the meantime, he encouraged residents to support businesses closer to home.

“Spend your dollars on the ground,” Markle said. “As much as you can stay off the Amazons, look at where things are coming from, where they’re sourced, and try to help that local business.”

For local companies facing another period of economic uncertainty, the Chamber says adaptability, diversification and community support may once again prove essential tools for navigating challenging times.

3) Tariffs and Barrie businesses

Businesses are still trying to figure out how new U.S. tariffs will affect them. At the same time, families are getting ready for the return to school, which means more students, pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles on local roads.

This week on What Barrie’s Talking About (Kool FM), we’re looking at how Barrie businesses tariffs could affect local companies and what police want drivers, parents, and students to know before school starts.

Check out this weeks episode:https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=COBR8956078072

Barrie Businesses Are Feeling the Tariff Pressure

Local businesses are still trying to digest the latest tariffs coming from the United States.

Canada has also announced retaliatory tariffs, creating another layer of uncertainty for companies that rely on cross-border trade.

However, not every business will feel the impact in the same way.

Some industries and companies could take a much bigger hit than others, depending on what they sell, where their products come from, and how closely they rely on the U.S. market.

Barrie Chamber of Commerce President Paul Markle has been talking with local businesses to get a better sense of how they’re coping.

Businesses Can Draw on Lessons From the Pandemic

There is at least some experience to draw from.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses had to adapt quickly as supply chains were disrupted and operating conditions changed almost overnight.

Those lessons could prove useful again as companies deal with changing trade rules.

For some businesses, that could mean finding new suppliers or markets. Others may need to rethink how they manage inventory and costs.

Meanwhile, the Barrie Chamber of Commerce is looking at ways it can support local companies as the situation develops.

The full impact of the latest tariffs remains uncertain. As a result, businesses are watching closely for what comes next.