The Decibel

The 50-per-cent tariffs from the U.S. that came into effect on Aug. 22 are hitting a long list of goods — everything from cosmetics and toiletries, to electronics, clothing, and chemicals. For Canadian small businesses selling to the U.S., the levies are having a big impact already; a 50-per-cent tariff means that, for example, a wedding dress that costs $1,000 will now cost $1,500 overnight.

A survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business this summer, found that 40 per cent of its members would be affected by the tariffs; some expect to lose at least half of their revenue. Today, we hear from small business owners across Canada to get a sense of how they’re getting caught up between the U.S. tariffs and Canadian countertariffs.

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The demands of modern life seem to grow every day, leaving little time for people to pursue hobbies. Many Canadians are leaving vacation time unused. In light of this, a growing number of people have started devoting their vacations to intensive workshops, where they can pick up new skills or hone a craft.

Toronto-based audio journalist and frequent Decibel producer Allie Graham recently looked into the phenomenon of “skillcations” to find out how people across the country are spending their vacations in the pursuit of hobbies.

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A growing number of Canadians are struggling with fertility, and the business helping people make babies is booming. The global fertility services market was valued at more than $21-billion in 2021 and is projected to more than quadruple by 2031. As more hopeful parents turn toward services like in-vitro fertilization – or IVF – and surrogacy to conceive, Globe investigative journalist Kathryn Blaze Baum worries they may not know exactly what they’re signing up for.

Today, Baum shares her first-hand story and reporting into the fertility industry in her new book, In Fertility: The Story of a Miracle and the Big Business Behind It. Kathryn will explain what it’s like to navigate assisted reproductive technology, its high costs financially and emotionally, and what she thinks needs to change about how Canada handles fertility.

This episode originally aired April 6, 2026.

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The auto sector is at the heart of trade discussions between Canada and the U.S.

Canada’s auto sector has been hit hard over the past year with tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. How the U.S. was planning on dealing with the auto industry was one of the reasons the trade deal between the two countries fell apart over the weekend.

So today, The Globe’s economics reporter, Mark Rendell, explains why trade discussions focus so heavily on the auto industry, what impact the tariffs have had, and what it means for a sector that is already struggling.

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The Canada-U.S. trade war is in full effect.

On Tuesday, the federal government announced retaliatory tariffs against the United States. U.S. steel, seafood, dishwashers, forks, and all manner of other things are facing tariffs of 15, 25 or even 50 per cent.

Jason Kirby, from The Globe’s Report on Business, tells us how Canada is striking back in this latest front of the trade war.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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