Washington must avoid any new tariffs with Ottawa during a review of its trilateral trade agreement, mayors of several Canadian and U.S. cities urge.
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, a multinational coalition of municipal and Indigenous government executives representing communities in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region, said Thursday the time is now to rebuild trade relations and invest in local water infrastructure.
That region represents nearly 50 per cent of all Canada-U.S. bilateral trade and forms a $12.98-trillion economy, it said.
“The U.S.-Canada trade relationship has long been a pillar for the economic growth and prosperity of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Region,” said Toronto Deputy Mayor Paul Ainslie in a news release.
Get breaking National news
The group is also urging Washington to preserve and strengthen the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and avoid any new tariffs or tariff increases on Canada during its review this year.
The asks come as Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is set to head to Washington.
LeBlanc will be stateside Friday ahead of the CUSMA review, which is set for this summer.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said during a media availability in Australia Wednesday that Canada’s free trade pact with the United States “effectively has been broken in the short-term by U.S. actions.”
- N.B. budget: Cuts to culture funding would have ‘profound impact,’ advocates say
- Carney set to fly to Yellowknife then Norway with defence-focused agenda
- Manitoba government plans steps toward reducing nurse overtime, improving care
- Alberta minister meets with parents about serious incidents in daycares
Canada has been feeling the impact of sectoral U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, lumber and the auto sector.
Carney said certain protocols under CUSMA weren’t followed when U.S. President Donald Trump ordered tariffs on Canada.
He added Canada is looking to this year’s CUSMA review as a process to “re-establish the trust” individuals, businesses and investors need to guide trade between the nations.
LeBlanc’s trip also comes after a judge with the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled Wednesday that businesses are owed refunds for Trump’s tariffs levied under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act — a set of duties ruled illegal by the Supreme Court last month.
— With files from The Canadian Press
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.