When tariffs on goods from China reached 145 percent, a cargo ship carrying tens of thousands of dollars worth of dog toys arrived in Los Angeles but was not unloaded. The toys remained on the ship as it sailed to New York City, in the hope that the tariffs would be lifted by the time it arrived. Had that plan failed, the entire cargo might have been destroyed. This was the kind of costly decision businesses have been facing during the trade war.

Behind every one of these desperate business decisions usually stands a customs broker. They're the pros who know how to navigate the maze of international trade rules. But when Trump launched his trade war, their world got turned inside out.

Their job went from filing forms and calculating duties to decoding confusing, exhaustive orders with 24 hours' notice. It also means delivering devastating news to business owners about mind-boggling new tariffs.

In Julia Pagel's documentary, she talks to customs brokers who have been on the front lines of this evolving trade war.

Produced by Julia Pagel and Joan Webber.

The documentary first aired on The Sunday Magazine in June of 2025.

Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

When Arthur Arnold resigned from the Moscow Symphony Orchestra in protest of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he walked away from one of the world's most prestigious symphony stages. This decision would bring him a world away, to Powell River, British Columbia, a town tucked between the ocean and the mountains with a population of 13,000.

This town is at a crossroads. Two years ago, its economic heart, a massive pulp and paper mill, shut down. The plant closure left residents wondering what would come next.

But some are hoping that the city’s past could help define its future. There’s a deep history of arts and culture that goes back to the very beginnings of Powell River. And now with people like Arthur Arnold bringing in world class musicians and building an arts hub in town - there’s hope that music could help fill the void left by the loss of the pulp and paper industry.

Produced by Liz Hoath and Joan Webber.

Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit

Storylines is taking a break for the summer but we'll be back in the fall with a brand new season of audio documentaries.

Until then, scroll back through our feed to discover a collection of audio stories to keep you company all summer long.

See you in September!