By Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo
BARRIE, Ontario – Canadian flagmaker Flags Unlimited’s sales have doubled from a year earlier, the company’s owners said, as tensions with the neighboring United States fuel a wave of patriotism.
The increase in sales comes ahead of Canada’s national flag day on February 15, marking the 60th anniversary of the red and white maple leaf banner’s debut in Ottawa.
Matt Skipp, co-owner of Flags Unlimited in Barrie, north of Toronto, attributes the spike in demand to threats from U.S. President Donald Trump over Canadian sovereignty.
“It’s a direct response to the political climate, with Canadians rallying behind their flag as a symbol of unity,” Skipp said.
Canadian politicians have called on citizens to display the national flag this weekend to demonstrate that unity and their national pride.
Canadians have canceled trips south of the border, boycotted U.S. alcohol and other products and even booed at sporting events after Trump announced 25% tariffs on most of Canada’s goods on February 3, though he has since delayed the tariffs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week told a room of business leaders he thought Trump’s talk about absorbing Canada as the 51st U.S. state “is a real thing” and is linked to the country’s rich natural resources, a government source said.
Flags Unlimited, which produces more than 500,000 flags annually, is considering additional shifts and sourcing extra materials to meet the surge in demand, Skipp said.
The company manufactures and assembles the flags in Ontario, though it imports some of its materials from overseas.
Mike Allen, who works in the auto parts industry, visited the store to buy a flag on Wednesday. Allen said he opposed U.S. tariffs, due to concerns about the direct impact on his job.
The auto industry in North America is highly integrated, and companies have warned that tariffs would also raise costs for Americans.
“We’re not the enemy. It’s hard to understand why we’re being attacked,” Allen said.
(Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Hugh Lawson)
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