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In recent history, the relationship between the United States and Canada has been diplomatic, forged by symbiotic geopolitical and economic ties. But tensions between the countries are approaching a climax due to recent threats by President Donald Trump.

Since his first presidential campaign, Trump’s viewed trade relations between the U.S. and Canada with disfavor. He went as far as to label the North American Free Trade Agreement as a “disaster for the United States.”

Despite Trump’s open critiques of the agreement, it wasn’t until his second term as president that he evoked executive powers in an attempt to abolish the deal.

On Feb. 1, Trump announced he would soon place tariffs on goods imported from Canada. This promise came to fruition just over a month later, when these tariffs went into effect on March 4. A 25% tax is now active on all Canadian imports, except oil and energy products, which were instead met with a 10% tax.

It’s estimated the average American family will spend an extra $1,600-2,000 annually as the cost of consumer goods skyrockets.

These tariffs show Trump is choosing to ignore how these taxes will affect the American population economically. By taxing imports which many rely on frequently, Trump’s policies will make daily life for both marginalized groups and college students more expensive than deserved.

According to Trump, the tariffs are meant to protect American borders. He claims his new policies will limit the amount of illegal immigrants and drugs supposedly flowing into the U.S. from our northern border. These claims are proven wrong when you consider that less than 1% of U.S. fentanyl seizures occur at the border between Canada and the U.S..

As soon as the American tariffs were instated, Canada quickly responded by imposing tariffs of their own on goods imported from the U.S. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reinforced the actions taken by his nation, calling Trump’s policies unjustified and labeling them a threat to Canada’s sovereignty.

While these taxes are a red flag for political relations on a larger scale, for many citizens of the U.S. — especially college students — the tariffs are not an abstract policy. They will affect daily life.

Canadian goods American companies rely on are becoming more expensive to purchase initially. To combat higher purchase prices and turn profit, U.S. corporations that control much of what we eat and buy will raise their sale prices.

Locally, people in Syracuse risk suffering tangible impacts sooner rather than later.

In 2024, the city of Syracuse imported $10.4 million worth of goods from Canada, according to OEC. This is more than 50 times the monetary value of goods imported into Syracuse by China, the city’s second largest international trade partner.

Nearly 30% of Syracuse residents live below the poverty line. These rising prices, although insignificant to the elite, will exist for all consumers nonetheless and lead to further lifestyle instability.

Many Syracuse University students may struggle to cope with the changes while balancing college budgets and allowances, making it especially hard for students who are financially independent from their families.

A majority of SU students already live frugally due to high tuition prices, reserving their spending for essentials like groceries and school supplies. Produce and meat are two items likely to spike in cost most viciously. Beef and eggs are a staple of many of our diets, so I expect these increasing prices to hit SU students particularly hard.

Joe Zhao | Design Editor

Students can also expect the costs of essential pieces of technology to increase after Trump placed additional tariffs on China on Feb. 4. This 20% tariff on foreign hardware will drive up the already expensive price of electronics significantly, limiting accessibility to essential learning tools like laptops and tablets.

Certain colleges at SU, like the SI Newhouse School of Public Communications, require students to own and operate up-to-date laptops for classwork. This poses potential challenges as a university mandate to students who may not be able to afford the newest technology.

Americans need to realize the implications of Trump’s tariffs are nation-wide. Even if you’re in college, these troubling policies threaten to directly impact how much your lifestyle costs, no matter how simple or cost-conscious it is now.

While Trump claims the tariffs are a method to keep citizens in our country safe, his radical trade wars are doing the exact opposite and don’t prove his guise of empathy.

They will make student life harder, and will worsen the divide for already impoverished communities in Syracuse. Hardworking families will face a more punishing economic deficit. It’s now more vital than ever to hold empathy for the people in Syracuse who have more than one mouth to feed.

At a time in our lives when we are faced with financial independence for the first time, we’re balancing enough as it is. Realize the misconceptions around the safety these tariffs bring. As prices rise for us, exercising balanced financial literacy is especially critical to navigating America’s economic uncertainty.

Will Chadwick is a freshman psychology major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at wchadwic@syr.edu.

Published on March 24, 2025 at 11:10 pm