On Canada’s tariff frontline, business stalls over US trade deal jitters

try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Houthis strike Israel as conflict widens; 12 US soldiers injured in a Saudi strike Markets still expect further escalation in coming days/weeks, analyst says Barclays warns ‘Trump put’ losing impact amid policy swings Leading broker sees gold falling to $3,700 as a real possibility (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) On Canada’s tariff frontline, business stalls over US trade deal jitters By Stock Markets Published 03/28/2026, 06:07 AM Updated 03/28/2026, 06:13 AM On Canada’s tariff frontline, business stalls over US trade deal jitters 0 By Promit Mukherjee and Wa Lone WINDSOR, Ontario, March 28 - Windsor-based FASTSIGNS, a Canadian company that designs and installs custom business signs and graphics, last year endured its toughest year since the pandemic as orders from its core automotive clients dried up. A new project launch this year brought some relief, but the company says customers are demanding longer payment terms, placing smaller orders, and bargaining harder on prices due to uncertainty tied to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is up for review this year. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he could scrap the trilateral trade deal he negotiated during his first term, calling it no longer relevant to the United States. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has described negotiations with Canada on the agreement - which exempts most Canadian goods from U.S. levies - as challenging. The impact of the deal - and its uncertain future - is being most acutely felt in places like Windsor, which is among the Canadian cities most dependent on the U.S. for its fortunes and reflects the broader unease facing the country’s economy. Its economy contracted 0.6% in the fourth quarter. "CUSMA is very, very important," said Jackie Raymond, co-owner of FASTSIGNS, referring to how the agreement is called in Canada. "It trickles down to every little business, right down to your barber shop ...