These tariffs, which include duties of up to 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum, have triggered cost increases across multiple industries. Cooperatives—especially those in agriculture, manufacturing, and retail—are among the hardest hit, as they typically operate with minimal margins and rely on international supply chains to remain viable and competitive.
The Western Canada co-op federation reported total sales of $11.9bn at its recent AGM, resulting in net earnings of $297m for the last 12 months
“The public thinks that people who work in the informal economy are lazy people who get social benefits. It is not the case, we all work. EcoPop was created to raise awareness of all the work the different sector of the popular economy does,”
In recent months co-operative organisations have one by one quit Twitter, something we at Co-op News are also considering. Those still on the platform continue to post but their co-op content is not controversial enough to make it into users’ feeds.
The Business Support for Co‑ops programme, a partnership between Co-operatives UK and the Co-op Bank, has given direct support to 500 co-ops in nine years, a report reveals.