PIVOTING IN RESPONSE TO TARIFFS
With U.S.- imposed tariffs posing a very real challenge 
for many businesses, Indigenous-owned companies are 
scrambling to find their footing, and in some cases,  
new markets. 
Jason Picard-Binet, president of moccasin-maker Bastien 
Industries, thought his company’s exports to the U.S. 
market were protected by the Canada-United States-
Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). The company was told, 
however, that it would face tariffs despite the CUSMA fine 
print. Picard-Binet was advised to lawyer up and fight the 
tariffs; not wishing to get bogged down in legal fees, he 
chose not to. 
Instead, the company focused on a new initiative: a 
partnership with Indigenous lifestyle brand Mini Tipi to 
develop a new design of moccasin. “Times are tough 
for everyone, especially with the tariffs and the economy 
at the moment, so together Indigenous designers are 
stronger, and that was really the mindset we had in 
collaborating,” says Picard-Binet. 
Keya Bedding Co.— producers of bedding and lifestyle 
products — was doing brisk business south of the border 
before the tariffs were imposed. Their introduction 
essentially shut down the U.S. market for the company, 
except in rare cases where a customer can absorb  
the tariff.
Because many of its source materials come from China, 
Keya Bedding doesn’t qualify for CUSMA protection. To 
that end, CEO Josh Hennan plans to buy machinery that 
will allow him to manufacture more supplies in Manitoba. 
He is also looking into bringing entire rolls of fabric into 
Canada from China, then working with a local Indigenous 
craftsperson to “cut it and sew the seams, so that the end 
product would qualify as made in Canada.” 
Given the volatility of the Trump administration on trade, 
however, future CUSMA talks may be rocky and their 
outcome uncertain. That being the case, Hennan is also 
researching possibilities in the German market. “I’ve been 
talking to the Trade Commissioner of Canada,” he says. 
“And we’ve heard from multiple people that [Germans] 
love Indigenous products, especially those designed 
specifically by Indigenous people.”
“With today’s technology and advancements in shipping 
and logistics, the world is really closer than we think,” 
adds Hennan. “[The U.S. market] is convenient because 
it’s so close, but the cost of shipping products to the 
rest of the world is actually lowering. There are more 
incentives for us to ship to Germany or Japan… if our 
product fits what those markets need.”
For its part, Mini Tipi has been exploring offshore markets, 
with feelers out in Japan, Europe and South America. The 
company’s co-founder, Trisha Pitura, is optimistic this will 
bear at least some fruit. The company is also focusing 
more strongly on new domestic markets in Canada.
Mini Tipi co-founders Mélanie 
Bernard and Trisha Pitura
42 A CCIB PUBLICATION  Winter 2026
TRADE & EXPORT

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.