Building material suppliers say tariffs are rattling customers, putting projects in jeopardy
CBC
With spring construction season approaching, some building supply centres say customers are scuttling home improvement projects because they're worried about tariffs.
"There is still business happening, but it is a noticeable difference," said Keith Nordal, an owner at the Home Hardware Home Building Centre in Regina.
Nordal said business was looking promising for the upcoming construction season, with lots of quotes in March for deck builds, garages and fences. But in the past couple of weeks, some of his quoted projects have stalled.
"We've definitely seen a bit of a dip," Nordal said.
"Some of the people … haven't come in for their follow up meeting."
Nordal said customers he's speaking with are worried about what U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and the ensuing trade war mean for the economy, building material prices and their own jobs.
Trump has imposed a 25-per-cent tariff on all goods not compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). Non-compliant energy and potash are tariffed 10 per cent.
In turn, Canada imposed a 25-per-cent tariff on non-CUSMA compliant American goods entering this country.
The result has been confusion and fear for business owners and customers.
Industry associations say it's too early to know the extent of the impact on Saskatchewan's construction and renovation sector, but the uncertainty is already impacting jobs.
"We're ramping up to construction season and there's not as much confidence as there would have been prior to all this tariff talk. It's certainly affecting the labour market," said Shannon Friesen, president of the Construction Association of Saskatchewan, which represents commercial builders.
"There's fear. You can't overstate that."
Friesen said she's worried that if the trade war continues, companies will start rethinking planned builds and pause development projects.
"It feels a bit like a game. It just feels sometimes like we're puppets being yanked on a string."
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