People in Yukon respond to U.S. trade war by buying Canadian

'We don't need to be pushed around,' said one Whitehorse woman

In the face of U.S. tariffs and President Donald Trump's threats against Canada’s sovereignty, some people in the Yukon are looking for ways to fight back.

Several Canadians visiting and living in Whitehorse told CBC News in recent days that life is already more expensive for them as a result of U.S. tariffs and the ripple effects on the economy.

“We don't need to be pushed around,” said Sheila Ramsay of Whitehorse.

“Every time I go to the store, I see the prices are going up and the gas is going up. So, I guess that impact would be like most people.”

The price of gas at a downtown service station in Whitehorse on Monday was $1.95 per litre. Down the street, at a fruit stand, CBC News caught up with some market patrons who said they enjoyed peaches and honey crisp apples.

Some said that lately, they've been on the hunt for fresh produce from Canada.

“I'm at the fruit stand because I can get Canadian products right now,” said Craig Olsen.

Olsen said he’s not comfortable travelling across the international border to the United States right now. He hopes the U.S. eventually returns to being “more friendly towards traditional allies.”

Following the U.S. administration’s decision to impose 50 per cent tariffs on $27.6 billion worth of Canadian goods, the federal government announced what federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne called targeted countermeasures and a substantive support package Tuesday.

Canada’s retaliatory tarriffs will target steel, aluminum, appliances, agricultural gear, pulp and paper, and electronics.

The feds also announced $7.5 billion in support for workers and businesses, in addition to the $25 billion it said it has provided since the start of the U.S. tariffs.

Feds announce 'dollar-for-dollar' counter-tariffs on billions in U.S. imports

According to Tuesday's announcement, regional development agencies, like the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, will run a $1.5-billion regional response initiative to help small and medium-sized businesses manage the pressures from tariffs.

Another $3.5 billion was announced in support for workers and employers. The federal government said it will make it easier to get employment insurance and support workers as they seek out new jobs.

While speaking in French, Champagne said Canadians’ main power is their purchasing power, and they should choose to buy Canadian.

Yukon premier also encourages Canadian purchases

Yukon Premier Currie Dixon told CBC News Monday that he trusts Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision not to sign a trade deal last week and to retaliate against the U.S. tariffs. Dixon said he’ll leave it to the prime minister to decide when to send Canada’s trade delegates back to the negotiating table.

Meanwhile, Dixon is also encouraging Yukoners to support local businesses and buy Canadian goods.

Dixon said the Yukon is relatively less dependent on the United States than other provinces.

“Going forward, I support a strong response from Canada, but make no mistake, it's going to be a painful period for a lot of Canadians,” he said.

Yukon premier says Canada’s sovereignty at heart of ‘trade war’ with United States

As Canada-U.S. trade war escalates, some Toronto residents say they’ll 'buy Canadian'

According to customs-based data via Statistics Canada, the United States comprised more than 90 per cent of the Yukon’s exports to all countries in 2025. That’s when the U.S. accounted for $185.9 million of the territory’s exports.

The bulk of the Yukon’s exports to the U.S. and other countries come from the mining industry.

In relation to the abovementioned data, Misha Donohoe, senior information officer with the Yukon Bureau of Statistics, pointed to a caveat.

In an email, Donohoe said goods that cross borders between the territory and the states could have been produced anywhere in Canada or Alaska, just like how goods produced in the Yukon may be exported to international destinations through other provinces.

Interprovincial trade data puts the Yukon at the highest proportion of Canada-bound exports compared to its provincial and territorial counterparts in 2024.

Dana Hatherly is a reporter at CBC Yukon. She previously worked for the Yukon News from January 2022 to 2026.