The Ottawa Board of Trade (OBOT) is calling for “urgent action” to address United States president-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he will impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods entering the United States when he takes office, citing “severe consequences” for businesses in Ottawa.
The tariffs could have a multitude of impacts for Ottawa businesses that rely on trade with the United States, said president and CEO Sueling Ching, like “potentially disrupting our integrated supply chains and harming economic growth on both sides of the border.”
“We call on the federal government to engage immediately with the incoming U.S. administration to prevent the implementation of these tariffs and develop contingency plans to support Canadian businesses, particularly [small and mid-sized enterprises], that may be adversely affected by these tariffs,” Ching told Ottawa Compass. “We are confident U.S. business leaders understand the mutual benefits of our integrated economies.”
OBOT is also echoing the Ontario and Canadian Chambers of Commerce in calling for a coordinated and urgent Team Canada approach.
Ching also said Ottawa businesses and OBOT members should prepare for “potential market disruptions” while remaining optimistic that “diplomatic efforts will prevail.”
“The Ottawa Board of Trade stands ready to support our business community and work with all levels of government to navigate this challenging situation.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has agreed to a meeting requested by Canadian premiers to discuss the incoming Trump administration through a letter written to Trudeau before the U.S. president-elect proposed the levy.
“The Team Canada approach is what works,” Trudeau told reporters on Tuesday morning. “I reached out immediately to [Ontario Premier] Doug Ford to agree with him that we would have a first ministers’ meeting this week to talk about the United States, talked with [Quebec Premier] François Legault and some other premiers as well.”
“There’s work to do but we know how to do it.”
