Tariffs and Trade: Resources and Advocacy for South Okanagan Businesses

Changing tariffs and trade conditions are creating uncertainty for businesses across Canada. While some businesses are experiencing direct costs on imported products and materials, others are seeing indirect effects through supply chains, pricing, customer sentiment and changing market conditions.

The South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce is working to support local businesses in two important ways: connecting them with available information and resources, and helping bring their experiences forward through the B.C. Chamber network.

Resources for Businesses

Businesses trying to understand or respond to tariff-related impacts can access the following resources:

• Canada Tariff Finder: Identify import and export tariff rates for specific products and markets.
• Business Benefits Finder: Receive a customized list of grants, financing programs, advisory services and other business supports.
• Government of British Columbia: Tariff Information for Businesses: Access B.C.-specific information, updates and resources.
• Federal Support for Canadian Workers and Businesses: Explore federal financing, workforce, training and tariff-response measures.
• Trade Commissioner Service: Connect with trade experts, market intelligence and international business contacts.

Bringing Local Impacts Forward

Understanding the local impact requires more than economic data. It requires hearing directly from the businesses navigating increased costs, disrupted supply chains and changing customer behaviour.

The Chamber has been speaking with local businesses about their experiences and sharing relevant information through our provincial network. The B.C. Chamber is also collecting stories from affected businesses across the province to bring forward as government support programs are shaped and future roundtable discussions are organized.

Businesses can contribute by completing the B.C. Chamber’s brief tariff impact survey.

If tariffs or changing trade conditions are affecting your operations, we would also like to hear from you directly. Your experience helps us understand the local effects and advocate more effectively on behalf of the South Okanagan business community.

Contact Christina Brown, Executive Director, at execdirector@sochamber.ca.