{"id":2531672,"date":"2026-01-08T19:07:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T00:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tariffs-sink-canadian-couples-long-running-e-commerce-operation\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T19:12:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T00:12:27","slug":"tariffs-sink-canadian-couples-long-running-e-commerce-operation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tariffs-sink-canadian-couples-long-running-e-commerce-operation\/","title":{"rendered":"Tariffs sink Canadian couples&#8217; long-running e-commerce operation"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftariffs-sink-canadian-couples-long-running-e-commerce-operation%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2531672&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Lana and Brad Bain, antiques dealers in the Okanagan region of British Columbia who have sold online as 1995, saw their longtime e-commerce buisness upended in August 2025 when the de minimis rule allowing shipments under $800 duty-free ended. Canada Post and other carriers temporarily suspended U.S. shipments, forcing the couple to refund orders and scramble to resume operations. With tariffs and fees now borne up front,small items can incur steep charges (a $35 vintage handkerchief,for example,faces about $17 in taxes and fees),slashing typical profits to as little as 10-40% or forcing losses. The Bains began prepaying tariffs to spare customers higher charges but plan to open a 1,200-square-foot brick-and-mortar shop next spring as online sales have become unsustainable. Advocacy group We Pay the Tariffs says U.S. businesses and consumers paid $175 billion in tariffs from March to October 2025, and the U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule soon on a legal challenge to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/uk-seeks-state-by-state-trade-deals-as-biden-sends-brexit-britain-to-back-of-queue\/\" title=\"UK Seeks State-by-State Trade Deals as Biden Sends Brexit Britain to Back of Queue\">tariff policy<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Tariffs sink Canadian couples&rsquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >long-running e-commerce operation<\/a><\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2467527\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; Lana Bain and her husband had been selling antiques online for nearly 30 years when the U.S. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tariffs\/\">tariffs<\/a> hit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>At first it was higher prices and confusion. And then, in August 2025, it was the end of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/temus-supply-chains-in-china-could-be-using-forced-labor-report\/\" title=\"Report: Temu&#039;s China Supply Chains May Utilize Forced Labor\">de minimis loophole<\/a>, which had previously allowed goods valued at less than $800 to cross the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/border\/\">border<\/a> without <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trade\/\">import<\/a> duties.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4409962\/us-population-to-shrink-after-2056-cbo-says\/\">US population to start shrinking after 2056, CBO says<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4400869\/california-laws-2026-key-highlights\/\">California laws to take effect in 2026; here are key highlights<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/economy\/4400846\/illinois-end-grocery-tax-food-inflation\/\">As Illinois ends grocery tax locals can replace, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-laws-to-take-effect-in-2026-here-are-key-highlights\/\" title=\"California laws to take effect in 2026; here are key highlights\">food inflation debate continues<\/a><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>For Bain, who lives just across the U.S. border in Canada with her husband, Brad, her livelihood was on the line. They live in the Okanagan region near Penticton in British Columbia.<\/p>\n<p>The couple operates two standalone websites, three shops on Ruby Lane, a Shopify shop, multiple shops on Etsy, and one on eBay.<\/p>\n<p>The Bains started on AuctionWeb, which eventually became eBay. At the time, in 1995, there were no photos on the website.<\/p>\n<p>That last week in August 2025, everything changed, Lana Bain said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There was no method of us to go and ship our orders. It was horrific because we had outstanding orders,&rdquo; she told The Center Square. &ldquo;But our Canada Post suspended all shipping to the U.S., as did around the world, and so we were just scrambling. It was a nightmare, and we ended up having to go and refund all those customers.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Bain said she didn&rsquo;t sleep for a month.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It was like, what is happening here, 29 years on the internet, and look what&rsquo;s happening to us? It was frightening,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It was horrible. I mean, you still have bills, you still have to buy groceries, and what do you do?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In addition to bills, the couple had two warehouses full of antiques. Brad Bain said most of the stuff was bought with American customers in mind.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As soon as Canada Post allowed pre-payment of the tariffs, the Bains started doing that so their customers wouldn&rsquo;t face even higher taxes on the other end.<\/p>\n<p>Taxes and fees now take up a larger share of Bain&rsquo;s operation. She pointed to a $35 vintage handkerchief. The taxes and fees for each one add up to about $17 or roughly half the cost of the item.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re pre-paying every tariff, we&rsquo;re prepaying everything, so we may make anywhere from possibly 40% to maybe 10% of a profit, if we&rsquo;re lucky, and we are actually,&rdquo; she told The Center Square.<\/p>\n<p>The couple will shift tactics in the coming year with plans to open a 1,200-square-foot store on their property.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to open our brick-and-mortar shop in the spring, because we can&rsquo;t exist this way,&rdquo; Lana Bain said.<\/p>\n<p>We Pay the Tariffs, a grassroots group opposed to tariffs, said that American businesses and consumers paid $175 billion in tariffs on U.S. imports from March to October 2025.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4407393\/trump-2026-answers-reconciliation-infrastructure\/\">TRUMP ASKED HOUSE GOP FOR 2026 ANSWERS. STRATEGISTS HAVE ANSWERS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The October tariff data shows unprecedented costs for American businesses and consumers, and the full scope of impacts becomes clearer with each month&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/under-trump-americans-have-seen-their-best-wage-growth-in-40-years\/\" title=\"Under Trump, Americans Have Seen Their Best Wage Growth In 40 Years\">data release<\/a>,&rdquo; said Dan Anthony, executive director of We Pay the Tariffs. &ldquo;The administration clearly understands tariffs are hurting affordability.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on a legal challenge to President Donald Trump&rsquo;s tariffs as soon as Friday after agreeing to take up the case on an expedited basis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tariffs gut 30-year Canadian online antique shop<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2869,"featured_media":2531673,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP22160749148711_a4278b.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[3957,22642,50406],"class_list":["post-2531672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-canada","tag-e-commerce","tag-tariffs-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP22160749148711_a4278b.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2531672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2531672"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2531672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2531676,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2531672\/revisions\/2531676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2531673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2531672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2531672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2531672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}