President’s Message Garry McDonald CSA President On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. On February 1, President Trump declared a national emergency and announced a 25% tariff on most Canadian imports over professed concerns regarding illegal immigration and trafficking of the drug fentanyl. A 10% tariff was also imposed on Canadian energy products. Two days later, he agreed to a 30-day delay on these tariffs. On March 4, the United States implemented the 25% tariffs on Canadian goods, while Canada responded with 25% tariffs on $20 billion of U.S. goods. Once again, two days later on March 6, the Trump administration delayed tariffs on Canadian goods compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) until April 2. Finally, on April 3, the U.S. imposed a 25% tariff on all imported vehicles and auto parts not manufactured domestically. Canada retaliated with a 25% tariff on U.S.-made vehicles and components. So…what do these tariffs mean for snowbirds? In response to U.S. tariffs on Canadian-made goods, the Canadian 25% retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. products are being collected by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on behalf of the Government of Canada in the form of a surtax. This means that you may need to pay a surtax (as well as any applicable duties and other taxes) on some of the goods which you have purchased and are bringing back with you from the U.S. You can find the list of these products on the Department of Finance website at www.canada.ca. The surtax is assessed by the CBSA at the port of entry and you will be asked before you enter Canada. It is important to remember that residents of Canada have personal exemptions that allow them to bring goods – including alcohol and tobacco (up to a certain value) – back to Canada without paying duty and taxes. For example, if you have been away for 48 hours or longer, you can claim goods worth up to CAN$800 without paying duties or taxes, including the new surtax. The surtax only applies on the amount of goods that exceeds your personal exemption. Be sure to have your receipts readily available for any goods that you are bringing with you. You may be required to provide proof of the origin of any purchases that you are bringing back. New tariffs pose another headwind in an already difficult environment for Canadian travellers. Inflationary pressures, exchange rates and insurance costs have all made the snowbird lifestyle more difficult to maintain. The imposition of high tariffs is another obstacle impacting cross-border travel between Canada and the United States. Having said that, we remain hopeful that both countries can come to a long-term agreement regarding these critical cross-border issues without the implementation of tariffs which only serve to harm both of our interconnected economies. On April 28, 2025, Canadians elected what appears to be a Liberal minority government. As we go to press, the Liberals were elected or are leading in 168 seats, just short of the 172 needed to form a majority. The Conservatives were elected or leading in 144, the Bloc Quebecois 23, the NDP 7 and the Green Party 1. Not all absentee ballots have been counted as of this writing and Elections Canada estimates that the uncounted votes could affect the result in about a dozen ridings. Congratulations to Prime Minister Mark Carney and to all elected members of the House of Commons. CSA staff once again produced our popular Federal Election Handbook. As always, the handbook was loaded with lots of useful voting information, including dates of advance polls, absentee ballot information, voter identification requirements, etc. Our goal is always to make this a handy, one-stopshopping tool covering all of your election day needs. This year, the handbook was sent to you via e-mail, as well as being posted on our website. What sets the Canadian Snowbird Association apart is our commitment to providing you with the most accurate and up-to-date information available. Members receive timely and precise information. This is particularly important in times of uncertainty. It is the reason why you and more than 115,000 members have put your trust in the CSA and the information that we provide. As we witnessed with the pandemic and again today, travel rules can change quickly. It is essential to have an association that you can trust and count on by your side. We will continue to advocate for your interests and fight back against unfair policies which impact your ability to travel to the U.S. We are working hard to rescind the recent registration requirement for Canadian travellers entering the United States for 30 days or longer. This requirement is a step backward in bi-national relations and border security co-operation between Canada and the United States and the CSA will continue working on your behalf to see it overturned. Welcome home. 10 | www.snowbirds.org
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