AFFAIRS OF STATE: The latest on tariffs
In a departure from a long tradition of honouring books as powerful vehicles of cultural sharing to be traded freely, Government is now looking at adding books to the list of imports from the US that will be subject to retaliatory tariffs. As you can imagine, we're concerned.
Summed up by the Canadian Independent Booksellers' Association (CIBA) in its statement, "the proposed 25% tariff would have devastating consequences for Canadian readers, our businesses and our cultural landscape:
- Tariffs on Canadian books: The majority of books sold in Canadian bookstores, including books by Canadian authors, are published by multinational publishers whose Canadian divisions rely on U.S. printers and warehouses for distribution. This onerous tariff therefore would unfairly apply to books not only from U.S. authors but many Canadian and international authors.
- Economic Harm: Canadian bookstores serve as cultural hubs in our communities and all operate on thin margins. Unlike interchangeable consumer goods we know that readers will not likely substitute a book arriving via the U.S. for a Canadian printed and warehoused book. At this time there is nowhere near the capacity in Canada to handle all of our printing and warehousing. This tariff threatens the survival of bookstores and the livelihoods of thousands of Canadians.
- Access to Knowledge: Books are fundamental tools for education, research, and intellectual development. This tariff would create an unnecessary barrier to information and learning for all Canadians.
- Cultural impoverishment: By making books less affordable, we risk limiting Canadians’ exposure to diverse perspectives, stories, and ideas that foster empathy and broaden worldviews.
- Affordability Crisis: At a time when many Canadians are struggling with rising costs, books represent one of the most accessible and enduring forms of entertainment and enrichment. This tariff would place them out of reach for many families. Consumers will already be asked to absorb the impact of tariffs on books published in the U.S. as the U.S. printers buy their paper from Canada and paper will now carry a U.S. tariff.
Finally, the impact of the proposed book tariff would fall disproportionately on Canadian booksellers, authors, and publishers, while the US publishing industry would likely be very little affected, which rather misses the point of retaliatory trade barriers.
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