OCTOBER 24, 2026 • WESTMAN BUSINESS • THE BRANDON SUN
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“It’s just getting more expensive,” Fast said. “The company has tried to shield customers from the full impact by absorbing some in- creases or implementing only part of the ad- ditional cost.” Fast said the approach is intended to keep customers happy while recognizing that the company cannot absorb rising costs indefinitely. “We try to be open about it, and, yeah, so it doesn’t surprise anybody,” he said. Fast said the combination of supply is- sues, price increases and staffing challeng- es continues to make operating a growing business difficult. Yet not every Westman business is feeling the tariff effects in the same way. For Wheat City Seeds, the biggest issue at present is uncertainty over whether its prod- ucts will ultimately be affected. The company has operated for 15 years and retails and wholesales seed locally, elsewhere in Canada and in the United States. Partner Al Martin said the company sells different pulses and cereals for planting, mainly cover crops, into U.S. markets. So far, however, tariffs have had virtually no effect on the company. Martin said products had remained unaf- fected under the existing trade arrangement, apart from a brief period when tariffs were introduced and then withdrawn. As a result, the latest tariff announcements have left the company waiting for more spe- cific information.
The company expects its customs broker to advise whether particular products will be affected. “It’s until it comes probably to the 11th hour,” Martin said, that the company may know whether planting seed will be impacted. That uncertainty is itself becoming a busi- ness challenge. Uncertainty is the biggest soft spot in the local economy, Brandon Chamber of Com- merce president Emelio Brown said. “Brandon’s biggest strength right now is that our economy is diverse,” Brown said. “Agriculture, manufacturing, construction, retail, health care and education are sectors that help cushion one another.” But constantly changing trade rules make it difficult for businesses to price jobs, hold inventory or decide whether to hire, he said. “It’s hard to price a job, hold inventory or commit to hiring when you don’t know what’s coming next,” Brown said. Agriculture and manufacturing are among the sectors Brown hears about most from Chamber members. Some manufacturers that sell products into the United States are facing U.S. tariffs on their exports while simultaneously pay- ing more for parts and materials brought into Canada, he said. “That creates a difficult choice: absorb the costs and accept narrower margins, or raise prices and potentially lose customers,” he said.
Brandon Chamber of Commerce president Emelio Brown says constantly changing trade rules cause uncertainty in the local economy. (Supplied)
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