Surprise! Tariff talk was top-of-mind for attendees at CHFA Vancouver
By Bruce W. Cole
It was not so many years ago when our industry was divided and in turmoil—caused primarily by the federal government’s desire to clarify and impose a stricter regulatory standard to our products.
If you were around back then, you can remember how people were clearly on one side or the other. It was a very unsettling time.
Today, a different federal government—this one from south of the 49th—has caused confusion and turmoil in our industry and in our country, with its desire to impose tariffs.
However, unlike the regulatory situation mentioned above, this tariff affair has had an opposite effect: it is uniting our industry, maybe unlike ever before. At least, that was the general feeling that came out of the Supplier Roundtable at CHFA NOW Vancouver in April 2025.
CHFA President Aaron Skelton attended the Supplier Roundtable for a brief time, but long enough to see the room was over-capacity and the dialogue was candid, vulnerable, and plentiful. “From what I saw,” he said, “which was mostly tariff related, all who attended were open to sharing their challenges <and> solutions, even making networking connections for support during the facilitated discussions.”
Aaron said there was an energy to the room that felt anchored in mutual support. “For topics that can often tip negative, the opposite was the case. Discussions were constructive and solutions-oriented.”
The CHFA team prepared a short report on the roundtable, which they shared:
“The session brought up some timely and honest conversations. Tariffs are definitely putting pressure on the industry, but they’re also pushing companies to think differently and explore new opportunities.”
The subject of tariffs was not the only focus of the roundtable—items like label transparency, funding, and product quality were touched upon—but it was tariffs that was the major discussion point. Over in the Retailer Roundtable, tariffs was one of five major topics addressed by a group of 50 retailers.
As of this writing, the tariff situation is still very much up in the air and changing almost daily. For that reason, it is almost impossible to properly address it here in CNHR. However, we’ll continue to do our best and highlight the things that will most affect our industry.