Canadians move to boycott US goods in wake of trade spat

CANADIANS have taken to practising pocketbook diplomacy in defence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is caught in a trade war of words with President Trump, by boycotting American goods and cancelling vacations to the United States, according to a report.

Shoppers are shunning Kentucky bourbon, California wine and Florida oranges, and avoiding American companies like Starbucks, Walmart and McDonald’s, Canadian network CTV News reported.

The New York Post reports that on Twitter, hashtags like #BuyCanadian, #BoycottUSProducts and #BoycottUSA are spreading as outrage over Trump’s trade tariffs grows.

An Ottawa man posted a “Trump-free grocery cart” full of products from Canada or from “countries with strong leadership.”

Vacationers said they would be staying up north this northern summer instead of booking trips to the US.

“F​ — k​ you Trump. We just booked a $3000 vacation to beautiful British Columbia. Happy anniversary to us. #Canadastrong #BuyCanadian #F***Tariffs,” tweeted ​Supreme Leader Lyna.

And one Twitter user called on “Patriotic Americans” to schedule vacations in Canada and increase their purchases of Canadian goods.

Trudeau acknowledged the support of individual Canadians during an event at Parliament earlier this week.

“There’s a bit of a patriotic boost going on these past few days,” he said.

Trump and Trudeau are locked in a tiff over tariffs after the president last week said he would impose penalties on steel and aluminium imports.

​The squabble escalated over the weekend at the G7 meeting of economic powers in Quebec when Trudeau said in a news conference that Canada would not be “pushed around” by the US and called the tariffs “insulting.”

Trump heard the remarks as he flew in Air Force One to his summit in Singapore with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and withdrew from a statement issued by the G7 on trade.

He also blasted Trudeau in a tweet, calling him “very dishonest & weak.”

Earlier this week, Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro apologised for his comments on the Canadian PM.

“There is a special place in hell for any leader that engages in bad-faith diplomacy with President Donald J Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door and that’s what bad-faith Justin Trudeau did with that stunt press conference.

“That’s what weak, dishonest Justin Trudeau did,” Navarro said on the Fox News Sunday program.