With ongoing trade war, Newfoundland fashion designer takes rain check on U.S. expansion

Abby Cole · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 14, 2025 1:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Tariffs are pouring down connected 1 Newfoundland-based raincoat company's plans to interruption into the United States market. Instead, the proprietor is focusing connected a caller marketplace crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

Mernini raincoats person been increasing successful popularity, and laminitis Maria Halfyard moved her concern retired of her location and into a St. John's warehouse.

The institution — present successful 50 stores crossed Canada — has seen booming sales, and Halfyard began looking to the U.S. for caller concern — until U.S. President Donald Trump began issuing tariffs connected incoming goods, creating a planetary commercialized war.

"With everything that's going connected successful the marketplace — the tariff warfare — it wasn't a precise large spot to be," Halfyard told CBC Radio's Weekend AM.

"Obviously those tariffs … would beryllium highly detrimental to my terms point."

Now, she's looking to merchantability her coats successful the United Kingdom instead.

Listen CBC's Heather Barrett chat with Mernini's Maria Halfyard connected adapting to U.S. tariffs:

Halfyard says the U.K. marketplace has been much welcoming.

As governmental hostility began to vigor up betwixt Canada and the U.S., Halfyard says she noticed a displacement successful temper from her U.S. contacts.

"I didn't get a batch of replies arsenic quickly," she said. "The U.K. was a batch much responsive and excited astir taking a Canadian brand."

Halfyard says small businesses who merchantability straight to the U.S. volition beryllium deed importantly by tariffs, adding it tin beryllium other hard for companies selling a caller product.

"I cognize that there's immoderate Canadian companies that person had to standard back, they've had to laic disconnected radical and past look for caller markets," she said.

Tariffs would apt mean higher prices for U.S. customers, says Halfyard.

If the institution doesn't little its prices, the lawsuit has to wage the tariff, she says, adding she's optimistic that pivoting to the U.K. volition beryllium a bully happening for her company.

"I deliberation the U.K. marketplace is going to emotion my products," she said. "For me, it's a smaller marketplace to penetrate."

Halfyard says she volition soon beryllium releasing a caller midnight bluish overgarment and a children's enactment successful the fall.

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