New tariffs on Canadian products lead to spike in hockey equipment

NATICK, Mass. — For hockey players, a new season often means new gear. This year, that gear is getting more expensive, and local sporting goods stores say tariffs on products coming from Canada are part of the reason.

Peter Brandwein has been a buyer at the Natick Outdoor Store for more than 20 years. He says some of the hockey products he buys from Canadian suppliers are now costing him about 50% more, including tape, which players go through by the roll.

“There’s a lot of retaping over the course of a week or two weeks,” Brandwein said.

That leaves him with a tough choice: absorb the higher costs or pass some of them on to the customers.

“If you add 50% to the customer on that, they’re paying more money than they want to spend on it; that’s not right,” Brandwein said.

The federal government has imposed additional tariffs on certain Canadian imports. The U.S. International Trade Commission’s schedule shows that tariff treatment can vary by product.

MIT Economics Professor Jonathan Gruber says there was no catalyst for this change.

“This trade war is just raising prices for American consumers for really no real reason,” Gruber said. “Canada is our longest-standing partner, one of our strongest allies, a critical nation for us, and when you take an action like this, it doesn’t just raise prices for American consumers today; it burns trust.”

Though for Brandwein, the bottom line is already showing up in his invoices.

“There may be some other hiccups along the way here. I have to see what companies are doing,” Brandwein said.

Brandwein says he won’t be upping his prices, but at least for tape, he’ll have to find a new supplier, which he calls disappointing as his current retailers are people he’s worked with for decades.

“Good, hardworking people, very kind, and it just kills me that this is changing,” Brandwein said.

It’s not clear yet when or if the prices on some of these items will come down.

Trade talks between the U.S. and Canada remain uncertain, leaving businesses forced to plan ahead.

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