ROCHESTER, N.Y. — U.S. goods heading across the border could see an additional tax in the coming weeks. Last week, President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to delay the imposition of tariffs on imported goods, but only for a short time.

Should Canada move forward with a 25% tax on products like steel and wine, vineyards in the Finger Lakes region, one of the largest wine producers in the country, could be challenged.

What You Need To Know

  • U.S. goods heading over the Northern border could see a 25% tariff

  • Last week, President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to delay the imposition of tariffs on imported goods for 30 days

  • Living Roots Wine and Co. has done business with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and fears they're already experiencing the repercussions of lost international business

  • The winery says the best thing for the consumer to do is continue to shop locally to help your favorite small businesses adjust to possible loss of business

Living Roots Wine and Co. is originally based in Rochester and South Australia, where its founding team, husband and wife Sebastian and Colleen Hardy, met. The winery has seen enough success to open a third location in the Finger Lakes region off of Keuka Lake nearly a year and a half ago.

“Seb is from South Australia, and Colleen is from upstate New York. So we are really unique in that we make product, both in South Australia as well as in the Finger Lakes region,” director of operations Kate Prokop explained. “We focus on minimal inputs in all of our products, but with trying to get absolute maximum quality, and really just trying to take care of the land that we operate on and really showcase all that the wonderful regions have to offer.”

Prokop and the team often travel across the state with Living Roots product tastings to encourage more tourism to the region. They’ve always viewed Canada as an opportunity and have even done business with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, Canada (LCBO).

“It feels like the Finger Lakes in general, as well as our business, have really been making a lot of progress in spreading the word and getting our products stocked on shelves beyond the Finger Lakes region [and] beyond the Rochester region," she said. "[It] felt like we were on a really great path. And so getting this news was a little scary. And it feels like a potential setback that we're really hoping doesn't really take effect."

The recent news of additional tariffs on products has been paused for 30 days, but the winery says it has already started to see the repercussions.

“We're pretty anxious right now," Prokop said. "So last week when President Trump announced the tariffs. The next day, we were notified that there would be a 30-day pause on this, but that they were not going to be purchasing making any American purchases. In the meantime. So we are pretty anxious, because we've already felt the swift, the, the repercussions of that. These are large mandates that really do impact local businesses very quickly. So we’re anxiously waiting for the updates from the LCBO.”

Having a location in another country, let alone continent, has been reassuring for their business’ continued growth. However, the unknowns continue to rise as Australia, too, may have tariffs on the horizon.

“There is a lot of confusion right now as far as what will happen with that product that is currently over in Ontario," Prokop said. "If it's being pulled from the, from the shelves, where is it going to be going? Is there going to be repercussions, financial repercussions for the producers? We're really unsure right now."

She fears if the tariffs go through after the pause period, Canadian business will be deterred away from purchasing their products for a higher cause.

“If the tariffs did go forward, it would really put us at a disadvantage price-wise with other competitors," she said. "While we do really believe in the product and the quality of the products that we're providing, at the end of the day if it's not a product that the LCBO or any other purchaser in Canada feels that they will be able to sell, and sell at a really decent rate, that's going to help their business as well, then we’re kind of at a loss and really just going to be having to look elsewhere for that business."

Living Roots Wine and Co. advises consumers looking to help to drop by because nothing helps more than supporting a local business.

“The decision is made," Prokop said. "That's maybe not what we were particularly hoping for or what other consumers were hoping for at the end of the day. What people can do is go and support local and buy local and come into the tasting room, come into make sure to visit that shop that you haven't stopped at in a little while, and really help your local businesses out."