An emerging trend of booing the American national anthem at pro sporting events in Canada continued on Sunday, hours after Donald Trump announced that he would impose steep tariffs on his neighbour. Fans of Toronto Raptors, the National Basketball Association’s lone Canadian franchise, almost drowned out a 15-year-old female singer’s arena performance of The Star-Spangled Banner when they face US side the Los Angeles Clippers.

Similar reactions broke out Saturday night at hockey games in Ottawa, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta. In Toronto, after initially cheering for the 15-year-old, supporters heckled her before the crowd erupted in applause for the Canadian anthem, O Canada. Fans also began booing during Agasha Mutesasira’s performance of the American national anthem in Vancouver, British Columbia, when the National Hockey League’s Canucks faced the Detroit Red Wings.

Canadians are dismayed at US President Trump’s move to hit its nearest ally with punitive taxes, which threaten to spark an unprecedented trade war on the North American continent. The 25 per cent tariff imposed on all Canadian imports into the US - with a lower 10 per cent levy on energy - are set to take effect on Tuesday. Trump’s call for Canada to become America’s 51st state is no longer dismissed as a joke.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordered retaliatory tariffs on goods from America in response. In a TV address to the nation, he questioned why the US would target them instead of looking to “more challenging parts” of the world. “We have fought, and died, alongside you,” Trudeau said. Pierre Poilievre, leader of Canada’s opposition Conservative Party, called the tariffs “massive, unjust and unjustified”, adding: “Canada is the United States’ closest neighbour, greatest ally and best friend.

“There is no justification whatsoever for this treatment.”. Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, who was born in New York, said of the booing after Detroit’s win: “I mean, it’s too bad, right? It is what it is. “I guess you can maybe understand it from this side but seems like it’s a thing that’s going around the league right now.”. Raptors forward Chris Boucher, a Canadian citizen, was asked after his team’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers whether he’d ever experienced something like that.

“No, no, no,” he said. “But have you ever seen us getting taxed like that?”. Joseph Chua, a Toronto resident who was at the Raptors game, said he’s going to be feeling the tariffs “pretty directly” in his work as an importer. Still, he said he doesn’t think booing is “the right thing to do in this situation.” He chose to stay seated instead. “I have a bunch of American family, friends that live in the states that are Americans, we travel to America all the time, but I thought chanting, ‘Canada,’ would be a more appropriate stance,” said Mr Chua, who was deliberately wearing his red Canada Basketball cap.

“Usually I will stand. I’ve always stood during both anthems. I’ve taken my hat off to show respect to the American national anthem, but today we’re feeling a little bitter about things. “We were already talking about what businesses are Canadian, specifically, what are American, specifically, what to avoid. When I go grocery shopping, I will definitely be trying to avoid American products and groceries.”.