ELMA, New York — Most of New York’s politicians and business leaders reacted to President Trump’s tariffs on Canada with dire warnings about what a trade war would to do vital industries in the state, especially the areas near the border.
But, at the Made in America Store outside Buffalo — less than 20 miles from the Peace Bridge to Ontario — shoppers had a different message for the commander-in-chief.
“Good. Long overdue because the US has been getting crapped on for long enough,” Dick Schussler, 69, a retired mechanic, told The Post.
“It’s leveling the playing field. They’ve already got tariffs on us so we are just leveling the playing field and they don’t like it.”
The Made in America Store, which festooned with pro-America slogans including a 20-foot mural of the Constitution adorning the back wall, carries 15,000 American-made products — including clothes and hats — in its vast inventory.
Owner Mark Andol said he started the store after losing out on a welding contract to China in 2007.
“I just believe that if you want to grow this country, grow American manufacturing, I’ve always said you gotta tax or put a fee on imports,” the father-of-four told The Post.
“I tell people if they have a problem with imports, buy Made in America,” he said, adding he doesn’t have a problem with Canada.
He believes tariffs will “get us back in balance” and lead to economic growth in the US.
He added: “I believe we got so out of balance, we don’t have one item that plugs in or takes a battery in this store that I can sell, that’s 100 percent. Not one. I tell people, ‘We’ve gone to the moon but we can’t make a toaster no more?’”
The new tariffs were set to take place at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, but were paused for at least 30 days after Canada made concessions to President Trump Monday — just as Mexico had done less than 12 hours earlier.
After a phone call with Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his country would rush nearly 10,000 frontline personnel to reinforce the northern border in an effort to stem the flow of deadly fentanyl coming into the US — complete with helicopter and technological support.
New York’s trade with Canada is worth about $40 billion a year — including exports of $19.5 billion.
US and Canadian politicians — including Gov. Kathy Hochul and Ontario Premier Doug Ford — both took a dim view of the tariffs in recent public statements.
“Why are we doing this?” the governor said Sunday.
She said New York is an economic engine for the country, so a tariff war will have a “ripple effect” across the US.
“This is going to be an additional tax on New York residents and American residents. I don’t see a way around it,” the governor said.
Plenty of folks in western New York agreed with the governor, too.
One Buffalo brewery founder likened Trump’s tariffs to a “stick-up” and estimated it will cost the establishment $51,000 or more per year.
“What’s it for? What do we gain from this? We gain angry trading partners. What does our country get? Nothing, absolutely nothing, said Timothy Herzog, 66, the founder of Flying Bison Brewing Company.
Asked who he blames for the situation, Herzog didn’t mince words.
“It seems to come directly from Donald Trump’s desk … No business in the United States wants it. No business in Canada wants it,” he said.
“So far it seems like the only person who wants it is Donald Trump,” noting that breweries are one of the most “fragile” businesses even during the best of times.
“It’s going to be a f–king mess,” he fumed.
