Trump's threat to suspend 'de minimis' exemption leaves Canadian retailers on pause

Open this photo in gallery: Ashley Freeborn, Co-founder, Principal and CEO of B.C.’s Smash + Tess, says you can’t scale a business without the U.S. market.Tijana Martin/The Globe and Mail Fashion executive Ashley Freeborn had big plans for 2025. After building a following in Canada, the CEO and co-founder of Richmond, B.C.-based apparel brand Smash + Tess was looking south for growth. U.S. shoppers account for roughly 10 per cent of the company's e-commerce business. "You can't scale without the U.S. market," Ms. Freeborn said, adding that Smash + Tess had set aside the bulk of its advertising budget this…