Community Convo For Small Businesses in Canada Impacted by the US Tariffs
After weeks of speculation, it’s official: the US is imposing 25% tariffs on goods made in Canada & Mexico and extra 10% on China starting Tues Feb 4th.
For small businesses like ours – Canadian e-commerce brands that rely heavily on the US market – the implications will be vast.
This news, on top of the attacks on immigrants and people of colour, has been overwhelming. We don’t have all of the answers, but Jérôme and I have been deep in research, discussions & planning – trying to figure out what this means and how to move forward.
If you’re also trying to make sense of this before Tuesday, join our urgent community call 👇🏽
📆Monday Feb 3rd at 5PM(ET) ✨sign up at the link in bio
We’ll talk about:
⚪️Where things currently stand
⚪️What is/isn’t impacted by the US tariffs
⚪️ What this could mean for 🇨🇦 small businesses and possible scenarios
⚪️Space for community discussion - share ideas, ask questions
*To be clear: Jérôme and I aren’t “experts.” But after almost 10 years running two DTC e-commerce brands, we can share what we’ve learned and what we’re doing to navigate this.
Values Check
This space is for those who unequivocally believe:
✨Black lives matter.
✨Indigenous peoples continue to be harmed and must have reparations and land back.
✨Trans rights are human rights and 2SLGBTQ+ rights must be protected
✨There are no ethical billionaires.
✨Genocide is wrong. Period.
It’s also for business owners who believe in community over competition, building inclusive wealth, and creating businesses that lift up our communities—instead of extracting from them.
If any of this doesn’t sit right with you, that’s fine. This space isn’t for you. Don’t sign up.
About Your Hosts
Gelaine Santiago is a social entrepreneur and storyteller working at the intersections of entrepreneurship, social justice, and cultural identity. She's on a mission to build more ECOSYSTEMS (not empires) and helps marginalized founders scale impactful, authentic & community-grown businesses. Connect with her on Instagram, LinkedIn, or learn more on her website.
Jérôme Gagnon-Voyer is passionate about using technology to create scalable solutions. A computer engineer by trade, Jérôme is a seasoned technical consultant who has worked with Fortune 500 corporations, small-medium enterprises, and nonprofits. He has overseen large-scale customer-centric technology solutions & is sought out for his expertise in Salesforce, Shopify, and e-commerce. Connect with him on Mastodon, LinkedIn, or learn more on his website.
They are both the founders of Cambio & Co. Filipino Jewelry and Sinta & Co. Filipino Weddings, two e-commerce DTC brands for jewelry and accessories that are proudly designed & handcrafted in the Philippines.