Trade War Toll: Legacy Businesses in Canada Face Existential Threats**

The rice mill Dainty Foods, a staple in Windsor, Ontario, reflects the dire consequences faced by Canadian businesses due to President Trump’s trade war and retaliatory tariffs from Canada.**

After thriving for 142 years, Dainty Foods, an iconic rice mill in Windsor, Ontario, now finds its future jeopardized by the ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States. Despite witnessing a rise in demand for precooked rice products—the mill had even begun modernizing its facilities and planning a new plant in Detroit—the sudden wave of tariffs has turned hope into uncertainty.

James Maitland, CEO of Dainty Foods, sums up the turmoil, stating, “We are potentially staring down a double hit which no company can sustain.” The manufacturer's optimism for growth has been dashed by President Trump’s fluctuating tariff policies and Canada's retaliatory measures, which have dramatically increased costs for Canadian businesses that rely on importing and exporting goods across the border.

Dainty Foods faces a staggering 25 percent increase in the cost of rice imported from the United States, while also bracing for potentially higher expenses to send its products south if the U.S. tariffs escalate. The situation encapsulates a broader crisis affecting small to medium-sized enterprises in Canada, which are now grappling with rising operational costs and diminished market prospects in the wake of the ongoing trade disputes.