There\u2019s no feeling quite like the holiday rush.<\/p>\n
For some, it\u2019s all about the exhilaration of sprinting from shopping mall to shopping mall, trying to buy up the season\u2019s quickest disappearing items for your loved ones.<\/p>\n
For others, it\u2019s the stress of sprinting from shopping mall to shopping mall, trying to buy up the season\u2019s quickest disappearing items for your loved ones<\/i>. Not to mention cooking meals, entertaining dozens of family members, and decorating every corner of your home until you\u2019ve achieved appropriate levels of festiveness.<\/p>\n
And, of course, for those of you in importing, Christmastime means trying to get your items cleared \u2014 ideally, before December 25 \u2014 in the midst of massive backups at the border. (A few quick tips for next year<\/a>: don\u2019t wrap your gifts, keep your receipts, and know the value of anything you get!)<\/p>\n Since people are trying to take a load off this holiday season, we\u2019ve decided have a little fun with our the subject matter. Let\u2019s take a look at some popular imports making news this time of year…<\/p>\n In order to keep up with the demand of the Canadian public, Christmas tree growers on this side of the 49th parallel have typically had to buy wholesale from the U.S. to pad their own stock. In 2016, for example<\/a>, $5.1 million worth of fresh-cut trees made their way across our border.<\/p>\n Last year, however, was the start of a shortage for American suppliers<\/a> \u2014 an outcome a decade in the making and a trend expected to continue in the coming years. Due to the 2007 recession, which reduced the number of trees harvested, available imports from the States have suddenly gone down.<\/p>\n This has been both a blessing and a curse for Canadian growers \u2014 in B.C., which relies heavily upon U.S. imports, it represents a struggle to find enough trees to meet demand, while in the Prairies and Eastern Canada, it has meant more local sales and exports of their own stock.<\/p>\n Yet, in spite of the mostly good news for Canada\u2019s 1,872 farms nationwide, here\u2019s the really confusing stat: $61 million worth of fake Christmas trees<\/a> have been imported to Canada, mostly from the China and the U.S., leading up to this year.<\/p>\n Whether you go real or fake, only time will tell what tree imports figures will look like in 2018…<\/p>\n Though there\u2019s usually enough candy canes and gingerbread cookies to go around at Christmastime, the real treat in people\u2019s homes this time of year is mandarin oranges.<\/p>\n What was once a delightful surprise in our stockings as children, ubiquitous with the holiday season, has skyrocketed in popularity over time \u2014 to the point where, despite increased sales around Christmas, these sweeter, easier-to-peel mini-oranges are now available year round.<\/p>\n A recent story from the CBC<\/a> noted that demand for imports of clementines, tangerines and other variants from the mandarin family have eclipsed those of other fruits. Worldwide production is keeping up with the demand, too \u2014\u00a0China, the world\u2019s largest producer by far, harvest nearly 20 million tonnes of mandarins in 2017, while at least nine other countries on five different continents are making their products available for importation.<\/p>\n \u2026Wait. Lobster?<\/p>\nChristmas Trees<\/h1>\n
Mandarin Oranges<\/h1>\n
Lobster<\/h1>\n