TORONTO — When customers in the United States place orders with Sue Henderson’s jewelry company Suetables, she does something unconventional for a business owner: she asks them if they’re really sure they want to make the purchase.

Henderson double checks because on-and-off again tariffs mean a $200 pair of gold earrings could come with $70 in added fees for customers.

The math has made many Americans rethink their purchases over the last year and shrunk the business Suetables derives from the U.S.

Henderson predicts U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariffs will have the same effect on her Toronto-based business and others.

The 50 per cent duties are set to come into force in a month and apply to a wide range of products including hockey sticks, dairy products and cement.

Most troubling for businesses like Henderson’s is the 50 per cent tariff on some silver jewelry, gold necklaces and chains, precious metals and some imitation jewelry.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July, 21, 2026.

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press