Tariffs aren't targeting books, but economic chaos is having a chilling effect on N.L. publishers

Newfoundland and Labrador book publishers are already starting to feel the chilling effect of a global trade war, and it could mean bad news for book lovers.

Marnie Parsons is the publisher of Running the Goat Books and Broadsides, and owns a bookstore in Tors Cove, N.L.

"I do find myself quite concerned about where things will go in the next year," Parsons told CBC News. "It does look like we might be heading for a recession unless there's a dramatic turnaround."

Currently, there isn't a tariff on books manufactured in Canada or the U.S., though books are on a proposed Canadian counter-tariff list that hasn't yet been implemented.

For Parsons, the uncertainty and chaos of the situation is making her worry about her business on several fronts, from the publishing arm to her bookstore and letter press.

"It is really a disconcerting time," she said.

Parsons uses a Canadian printer for her commercial children's books, and works with a Canadian company to distribute books down south. She said she's starting to have to think about paying possible tariffs if the time comes.

While Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are known to support their own culture and buy local books, Parsons warns that can only go so far, especially if people start losing their jobs.

"If you can't afford groceries, then you're not going to be able to go out and support booksellers," she said.

Already, she's seeing smaller book orders from St. John's stores, she said, and her own bookstore stocks many books printed in the U.S.

As for the letter press, Parsons bought $3,000 worth of paper from a U.S. supplier last year. Now, she says she might have to find a European supplier instead. She also recently had to replace some mechanical parts and the only distributor she is aware of is in the U.S.

'Cautiously optimistic'

The Canadian Independent Booksellers Association and Indigo Inc. recently sent a letter to Liberal Party Leader Mark Carney to ask that books be exempt from the tariff list, citing the devastating impact it would have on the sector.

Association of Canadian Publishers executive director Jack Illingworth is "cautiously optimistic" that books will not be targeted in counter tariffs.

"It's the uncertainty on the American side that has been more damaging than the uncertainty on the Canadian side, specifically to the small Canadian book publishers," he told CBC News.

"People are, for the most part, proceeding ahead as business as usual."

Illingworth says Newfoundland and Labrador exports about $100,000 in books annually to the U.S., which, he says, is a substantial amount for a few small companies.

"Newfoundland and Labrador [is] also, I think, unique in Canada in that you read more of your own community's authors and books than pretty much anyone else in the country," he said.

He said having a strong "home market" will likely help these local publishers.

In an email to CBC News, a federal Department of Finance spokesperson wrote that books were on a proposed list of goods that could be tariffed, and the government accepted input until April 2. 

"The U.S. has announced the possibility of other sectoral tariffs, and the government is monitoring the situation carefully in case further targeted action is warranted," the email said.

Long-term problems

Boulder Books, based in Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, is in the same conundrum.

Company president Gavin Will says there's a lot of uncertainty in the industry.

"We're a very small company and we have absolutely no control over anything, really, beyond what we decide to publish," Will said.

He started the company 20 years ago, and all of the printing was done in Canada.

However, in recent years increasing prices for paper and U.S. publishers using Canadian printers has meant he's shifted overseas to China and India for printing.

Those compounding problems means Will has to reach out to suppliers to see where he can get better deals for printing.

He says there are risks when it comes to printing in China, like the amount of time it takes to ship to Canada, and those can get stuck in a port, which adds months of additional time.

Boulder Books sells primarily to the Atlantic Canadian market, Will added, and the number of books sold to the U.S. varies year by year and subject.

"Frankly I wouldn't lose much sleep if I lost the entire American market, unfortunately," he said.

He says Boulder Books has managed to carve out a niche in Atlantic Canada and is optimistic that the publishing sector will be fine under the current economic climate.

"We're not like the Newfoundland fishing industry or the southern Ontario auto parts industry," Will said.

Losing access to paper and having to publish overseas is more troubling in the long-term, he said.

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