Trout River Industries is looking to Canadian customers for growth after U.S. tariffs disrupted its expansion plans, CTV News reported October 13 in a story updated October 14.
President Stephen Kennaugh told the outlet that the Coleman, P.E.I., trailer manufacturer had absorbed almost $1 million in tariff costs while sales fell in Canada and the United States.
The U.S. previously accounted for 40 per cent of its sales. According to the report, the company’s trailers face a 25 per cent tariff there, split between the manufacturer and American dealerships and customers. Those figures describe this business’s experience, rather than every Canadian exporter.
Nearly $988,000 in non-repayable federal support will help pay for a newly completed inventory building. Preparing complete sets of parts before production and keeping less inventory are intended to improve efficiency. Trout River is one of 17 Island recipients sharing more than $6.9 million through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
Kennaugh still wants American sales, but hopes domestic growth will reduce their share of the business. The company is targeting western Canadian woodchip and fuel operations with a new trailer design and exploring tougher models for northern Ontario mines. These are expansion plans, not announced sales contracts.
