Canadian web hosts should thank Trump for the tariffs.

[CanSpace]

Hey everyone,

HD is full of hosts from around the world, but my guess American and Canadian companies make up a significant chunk of them. So, to our Canadian colleagues—have you noticed an influx of Canadians moving their websites and servers from US to Canada?

Here’s the tea: Canadians are mad. And when Canadians get mad, they don’t just say “sorry” and move on. Nope. They’re taking action by moving their websites from U.S.-based hosting companies to Canadian ones. At CanSpace, we’ve seen a massive surge in Canadians bringing their digital homes back to Canadian soil. It’s like a digital maple syrup revolution! 8 out of 10 sales requests are from fellow Canadians trying to make a move.

Frankly, in our 20+ year history we’ve never seen such a bold statement of digital patriotism. In part because there has never been such a case of “aggression” against Canada by who Canadians thought they were close friends with.

As a Canadian firm, do you think this migration will have a lasting effect or is this just a temporary trend?

 

[SenseiSteve]

Hard to say whether it's temporary as politics is such a strange bedfellow.

 

[Artashes]

I hear this to be the case with at least a couple of local friends in the hosting business.

The thing about Trump's tariffs on Canada is that they taught us, Canadians, a harsh lesson of life not to rely too much on anyone. Build a diverse economy that does not depend on one single partner, but a plethora of markets.

Besides there being very slim difference when it comes to connectivity/website speed between American and Canadian hosts, there are actually other benefits that Canadians that switch will learn about like better data/privacy regulations.

Good for you that you are getting a boost as a result of people returning their websites to Canada. Canadians learn quickly, so I, for one, think that this trend will continue.

 

[Greenhost.cloud]

Here’s the tea: Canadians are mad. And when Canadians get mad, they don’t just say “sorry” and move on. Nope. They’re taking action by moving their websites from U.S.-based hosting companies to Canadian ones. At CanSpace, we’ve seen a massive surge in Canadians bringing their digital homes back to Canadian soil. It’s like a digital maple syrup revolution! 8 out of 10 sales requests are from fellow Canadians trying to make a move.

If so, you should be proud of yourself. Everyone can be useful to the extent they are.

 

[Mivocloud]

After reading your comments and the topic itself, I can say that this phenomenon is clearly temporary. In any case, users will always move their sites from one location to another, since the speed of request processing is important to clients, and the closer the server is, the faster the client will get what they want

 

[SenseiSteve]

This is partially true but requires some clarification and additional context:

Proximity and Latency:
Generally, the closer a server is to a client geographically, the lower the latency (the time it takes for data to travel from the server to the client). This is because data travels over fewer network hops, potentially reducing the time for requests and responses. However, this is more about the network path and less about the physical location of the server itself.

Network Infrastructure:
The quality of the network between the server and the client can be more critical than mere geographical proximity. Well-developed internet infrastructure in one location might provide faster access than a closer location with less robust internet services.

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs):
For many services, using a CDN can mitigate issues related to server location. CDNs replicate content across multiple, geographically diverse servers, ensuring that users get content from the nearest server, thus reducing latency.

Server Load and Performance:
The performance of the server itself, including its hardware, software optimization, and the load it's handling, can significantly affect response times. A highly optimized server far away might perform better than a less optimized one nearby.

Data Center Quality:
The quality of the data center where the server is hosted affects performance. Factors like cooling, power supply, network redundancy, and peering arrangements can all influence the speed and reliability of service.

Dynamic Routing:
Modern internet routing can dynamically choose the best path for data, which sometimes means that the shortest physical distance isn't always the fastest route.

Thus, while moving a server closer to users can certainly improve response times due to reduced latency, it's not the only factor, and other considerations might outweigh simple geographical proximity in some scenarios. If the primary goal is to optimize for speed, a combination of strategic server placement, use of CDNs, and ensuring high-quality network paths would be advisable.

 

[metanet]

Trump is using tariffs for leverage mainly to get better trade deals. Given that the United States is the largest consumer in the world and typically the largest trading partner to most countries, there is a lot of leverage. I feel one should not expect Trump tariffs to last too long, especially if our trade partners behave and adopt more fair and balanced trade policies. Once a fair agreement and deal is met he will probably eliminate the tariffs. Until that time, it is going to be a game of chicken to see whose consumers can bear the burden long enough. While the USA has serious class issues it is still a very rich country and can bear this kind of burden for a very long time. Given that Canada has moved quickly to agree to compromise on trade issues in the past, it is unlikely that tariffs will be permanent. My prediction is that these tariffs might run for a year or so and return to baseline. I would say don't expect it to last forever.