The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce is joining chambers across the province to urge the government to maintain duty levels on US goods crossing the border.
As part of NAFTA negotiations, the "De Minimis" rate is on the table. That's the amount of goods consumers can bring over the border before they have to pay duty fees. Right now for less than 24 hours the rate is $20.
US negotiators are looking to raise that, but chamber President Matt Marchand says that puts Canadian retailers at risk.
"The playing field right now is really tilted toward the US and if our De Minimis rate or duty rates are a bit lower to make up for that, then that's okay because that would even out the difference that we have today," says Marchand.
Marchand is hoping to have a motion to maintain the De Minimis rate supported by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce at its annual general meeting on September 23-25, 2017.
