This artist cancelled a U.S. show because of a 50% tariff on Canadian art
Ottawa-based artist Michael Harrington has cancelled a U.S. exhibition due to a 50% tariff on Canadian art, which makes the financial burden of cross-border sales prohibitive. The tariff applies to the value of the art upon entry, creating significant barriers for artists and galleries.
Why it matters
This highlights the real-world economic consequences of protectionist trade policies on the cultural sector and international artistic exchange.
September 2 | Duration 0:50 Ottawa-based visual artist Michael Harrington says he cancelled an upcoming exhibition in Boston after learning the Trump administration had implemented a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian art. Social Sharing This November, Ottawa-based artist Michael Harrington was supposed to have his work displayed at the Ellen Miller Gallery in Boston.
That all changed after a conversation with a colleague at a Montreal gallery.
"She was just sharing her frustration with me because she was trying to sell a painting ... valued at $10,000 to a customer in Illinois," Harrington told CBC Radio's All In A Day.
"The deal fell through because of this 50 per cent tariff, just the possibility of it. That painting would have gone from being $10,000 to $15,000, and no one is going to pay that amount of tax on a painting."
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