Halifax bookstore fears 25% tariff may devastate industry

The manager of King’s Co-Op Bookstore in Halifax is worried about a new tariff on books from the United States. He says a 25 percent tariff could harm independent bookstores across Canada. Paul MacKay has worked at the bookstore for over ten years. He believes this tariff could lead to a "disastrous" situation for retail bookshops. Many books by Canadian authors are printed or stored in the U.S., which means they would also be affected by this tariff. MacKay explains that shop owners will face a tough choice. They can either absorb the increased costs or raise prices for customers. Either option could hurt bookstores that already have low profit margins. A university student named Sydney Haines works at the bookstore. She says higher prices will make it harder for students to buy books. Many customers already leave after seeing the list price, and the tariff could make the problem much worse.