[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f37vlevxq3pyup":3},{"_id":4,"slug":5,"title":6,"subtitle":7,"kind":8,"cards":9,"tags":58,"categories":60,"source":62,"lang":65,"author":66,"audioState":69,"stats":70,"publishedAt":73,"renderer":74},"6abd0b6dca21c797c7ea17ae","so-much-uncertainty-michigans-arab-american-businesses-navig-b714c826","‘So much uncertainty’: Michigan’s Arab American businesses navigate Trump’s Canada trade war","Arab communities on both sides of the border grapple with ongoing tensions as US-Canada relations continue to sour","news",[10,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,53],{"headline":11,"body":7,"imageUrl":12,"sourceImageUrl":12},"‘So much uncertainty’: Michigan’s Arab American businesses navigate Trump’s…","https:\u002F\u002Fi.guim.co.uk\u002Fimg\u002Fmedia\u002Ff7b902ebf02b5d9baf17a3645e08f54cc490bdb8\u002F443_0_4411_3531\u002Fmaster\u002F4411.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&precrop=40:21,offset-x50,offset-y0&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=389814b4f74d13c9755884aaa94df3ae",{"headline":14,"body":15,"imageUrl":16,"images":17},"In Dearborn, Michigan, home to the largest community","In Dearborn, Michigan, home to the largest community of Arab Americans in the US, one industry has risen above all others in recent years: Yemeni cafes.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fso-much-uncertainty-michigans-arab-american-businesses-navig-b714c826\u002F1.webp",{"local":16},{"headline":19,"body":20,"imageUrl":21,"images":22},"At the forefront is Qahwah House, a powerhouse","At the forefront is Qahwah House, a powerhouse in the burgeoning Yemeni cafe world with 32 branches open across the country. Three of those are here in Dearborn, with more on the way, and they attract people from near and far.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fso-much-uncertainty-michigans-arab-american-businesses-navig-b714c826\u002F2.webp",{"local":21},{"headline":24,"body":25,"imageUrl":26,"images":27},"“We estimate that around 10% of our Dearborn","“We estimate that around 10% of our Dearborn business comes from Canadian customers,” says Mohamed Ahmed, marketing director at Qahwah House.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fso-much-uncertainty-michigans-arab-american-businesses-navig-b714c826\u002F3.webp",{"local":26},{"headline":29,"body":30,"imageUrl":31,"images":32},"But the recent downturn in relations between the","But the recent downturn in relations between the Trump administration and Canada has caused it to pause a planned expansion north. The company was hoping to open a branch in Toronto, Canada’s biggest city that’s home to thousands of residents of Arab descent, until Donald Trump, who has repeatedly suggested that Canada become a US state, announced 50% tariffs on Canadian imports in July.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fso-much-uncertainty-michigans-arab-american-businesses-navig-b714c826\u002F4.webp",{"local":31},{"headline":34,"body":35,"imageUrl":36,"images":37},"“Where it does affect us is that we","“Where it does affect us is that we are trying to expand into Canada. We have our registrations, license, everything in place to open up in Canada. For now, we’re holding off just to make sure it’s a feasible move to expand,” says Ahmed. “There are a lot of super recent changes, so we’ll see how that plays out.”","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fso-much-uncertainty-michigans-arab-american-businesses-navig-b714c826\u002F5.webp",{"local":36},{"headline":39,"body":40,"imageUrl":41,"images":42},"Canada is Michigan’s largest trading partner, and for","Canada is Michigan’s largest trading partner, and for immigrant communities such as Arab Americans in Dearborn, situated a five-minute drive from the nearest border crossing, Canadians represent an important slice of their business. Dearborn’s Arab restaurants were so popular north of the border that a decade ago, the Toronto Star dedicated an article to highlighting the suburb’s best eating spots, despite it being a four hour drive from the Canadian city.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fso-much-uncertainty-michigans-arab-american-businesses-navig-b714c826\u002F6.webp",{"local":41},{"headline":44,"body":45,"imageUrl":46,"images":47},"Last year, during the initial round of tariff","Last year, during the initial round of tariff disputes with Canada, Detroit businesses reported a huge fall in income from Canadian visitors.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fso-much-uncertainty-michigans-arab-american-businesses-navig-b714c826\u002F7.webp",{"local":46},{"headline":49,"body":50,"imageUrl":51,"images":52},"“Since early 2025, Canadian visitation to the Detroit","“Since early 2025, Canadian visitation to the Detroit region is down about 30%, and remains at that level,” says Brett McWethy of Visit Detroit. Ottawa announced reciprocal sanctions on US imports that came into effect on 8 September. Talks last month failed to resolve differences between the two countries.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fso-much-uncertainty-michigans-arab-american-businesses-navig-b714c826\u002F8.webp",{"local":51},{"headline":54,"body":55,"imageUrl":56,"images":57},"Home to about 25,000 people of Arab descent","Home to about 25,000 people of Arab descent, the city of Windsor on the eastern shore of the Detroit River in Ontario has for decades provided a strong source of customers for the fleet of Arab restaurants and cafes across Dearborn. For dozens of families in the Ontario city, Friday and Saturday evenings were once spent lounging in Lebanese cafes after a quick jaunt across the border.","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia\u002Fposts\u002Fso-much-uncertainty-michigans-arab-american-businesses-navig-b714c826\u002F9.webp",{"local":56},[59],"latam",[61],"World & Politics",{"name":63,"url":64},"Guardian Americas","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fus-news\u002F2026\u002Fsep\u002F30\u002Fmichigan-arab-american-business-trump-canada-trade-war","en",{"handle":67,"displayName":68},"spots","Spots","queued",{"views":71,"likes":72,"saves":72,"shares":72,"completions":72,"opens":72,"skips":72,"depthSum":72},1,0,"2026-09-30T13:15:25.397Z","local"]