Finance worker Michael Atkinson is a fan of electric cars, but lately he found himself embarrassed to drive his Tesla Model 3 around Vancouver.

Dismayed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his association with U.S. President Donald Trump, Atkinson now drives an electric Volkswagen ID.4 after returning his Tesla to the dealership with two months left on the lease.

The final straw was Trump香蕉视频直播檚 planned tariffs on Canadian products, which struck Atkinson as a 香蕉视频直播渉orrible economic idea.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 gonna hurt Americans, it香蕉视频直播檚 certainly going to hurt Canadians and he is using it as essentially blackmail to try to make us consider being a 51st state,香蕉视频直播� said Atkinson about the threatened tariffs.

He was speaking just before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump said on Monday that the tariffs were on hold for a month.

Atkinson, who works for a credit union, is part of a wave of Canadians turning their backs on an array of American products, big and small, to express displeasure at politics and policies south of the border 香蕉视频直播� most notably Trump香蕉视频直播檚 tariff plan.

Andrea Mitchell said outside a supermarket in downtown Vancouver that she 香蕉视频直播渄id pretty good香蕉视频直播� by purchasing mushrooms grown in Canada.

香蕉视频直播淚 think it香蕉视频直播檚 important to show sovereignty and that we stick together. I think it香蕉视频直播檚 an opportunity for us to think about our country and the value of our future,香蕉视频直播� said Mitchell, adding that Canadians are 香蕉视频直播渞eally patriotic people.香蕉视频直播�

Mitchell said the news coming out of the U.S. made her feel that Americans don香蕉视频直播檛 realize 香蕉视频直播渉ow valuable we are as an ally,香蕉视频直播� pointing out that Canada had recently sent water bombers and firefighters to California to help battle devastating wildfires.

香蕉视频直播淭hese threats of taking over our country and imposing tariffs that are absolutely ridiculous 香蕉视频直播� I think it香蕉视频直播檚 absolutely irresponsible what they香蕉视频直播檙e doing, and they香蕉视频直播檙e blaming it on fentanyl crossing the border, which doesn香蕉视频直播檛 make any sense,香蕉视频直播� said Mitchell, speaking before news of the tariff delay.

Fellow Vancouver shopper Rick Piccolo, also speaking before the tariff delay announcement, said he had a new habit of carefully reading product labels to make sure they were not made in the U.S.

香蕉视频直播淭rump is an idiot,香蕉视频直播� said Piccolo, 香蕉视频直播淗e is like a builder who has only one tool. If you香蕉视频直播檝e got a nail, he has got a hammer. You香蕉视频直播檝e got a piece of wood that needs cutting, he香蕉视频直播檚 got a hammer. It香蕉视频直播檚 the only thing he knows. Eventually people will get tired of him being an idiot, but people are going to suffer until that happens.香蕉视频直播�

Keri Kettle, associate professor of marketing at the University of Ottawa香蕉视频直播檚 Telfer school of management, said that with groceries so expensive, and some American products cheaper than local ones, it could seem like a luxury to choose brands based on where they are manufactured.

But he said it was good to see Canadians rally around their identity by 香蕉视频直播渕aking more conscious choices about the brands that they support.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淪ome of the provincial governments are taking very strong stances and removing U.S. from the shelf,香蕉视频直播� he said, referring to measures including the removal of some U.S. liquor from government-run stores in B.C. and Ontario.

香蕉视频直播淪o, I think it香蕉视频直播檚 very much driven by our identity 香蕉视频直播� As a proud Canadian, I think it香蕉视频直播檚 a great thing to have something like this every once in a while to remind people that they香蕉视频直播檙e Canadian first and for a real strong sense of national identity for Canada.香蕉视频直播�

Atkinson said he grew increasingly displeased by Musk香蕉视频直播檚 meddling in foreign politics, support for right-wing groups, and what he saw as Trump香蕉视频直播檚 threats on Canadian sovereignty.

He香蕉视频直播檚 now paying for his two cars, with about $1,800 left in lease payments on the Tesla while he香蕉视频直播檚 paying $800 a month for the purchase of his new Volkswagen that he picked up 10 days ago.

His only disappointment is that when he went to the Tesla dealer to return his car, many others were waiting to pick up new Teslas.

Tesla does not release sales figures for Canada but rebate data from Transport Canada香蕉视频直播檚 zero-emission vehicle program suggest about 33,000 Teslas received rebates in the nine months to Dec. 31. On a per-month basis, that is down about 15 per cent compared to the approximately 50,000 Teslas that received the rebates in the full 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Atkinson is now rethinking other expenditures.

香蕉视频直播淚 think we should start thinking about considering not travelling to the United States 香蕉视频直播� and it香蕉视频直播檚 hard, I recognize that, but wherever possible, buy Canadian rather than goods imported from the U.S.,香蕉视频直播� said Atkinson.