Mayors from cities across Canada have recognized the consequences that are possible should the U.S. government impose tariffs.
Members of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Big City Mayors Caucus gathered in Ottawa on Thursday for a meeting to discuss the threatened tariffs. Among them was Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
Dilkens and other mayors told reporters Thursday afternoon that any impact tariffs have on Canada will affect more than just the auto sector and manufacturing.
"Auto parts, to electronics, to greenhouse-grown products from the surrounding region," said Dilkens. "In fact, just 20 minutes away from the City of Windsor is the world's second-largest greenhouse cluster, only dwarfed by Holland. Eighty-five per cent of the products they produce are exported to the United States."
With a 30-day reprieve worked out between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump, municipalities are scrambling to create alternate supply chains to minimize any impact tariffs may have.
London Mayor Josh Morgan said that Canada's largest communities need to wear multiple hats.
"Municipalities are not just service providers. We're economic drivers," said Morgan. "The way we spend and invest to procure goods and services has a direct impact on jobs, local industries, and the long-term resilience of our communities."
The Big City Mayors' Caucus met on Thursday with Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly to help formulate the municipal portion of Canada's response to the terror threat.
Dilkens also acts as the chair of the Border Cities Alliance, a group of representatives from border towns across the country. He said it was vital that the alliance show a united front.
"We're not going to 'zig' while others are 'zagging'," said Dilkens. "We want to be supportive. We want to be part of the national dialogue and help lend our relationships with mayors on the other side of the border, to amplify their voices. Just as much as we're talking about community impact in Canada and our cities, this impact will be equally as grave on the U.S. side."
Representatives from the FCM will travel with Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford to Washington, DC next week.
