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The City of Ottawa’s finance committee voted to prepare a local response strategy to any future tariffs imposed on Canada by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The committee voted in favour of an emergency motion that asks city staff to examine the potential impact of a U.S.-Canada trade war, and to prepare a plan that would ensure the city is able to buy local, Canadian goods and services.
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The committee also authorized Mayor Mark Sutcliffe to convene a meeting of local business leaders to develop an action plan that supports the city’s buy local initiative, and to work with his mayoral counterpart in Gatineau, Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, to eliminate inter-provincial trade barriers.
City staff told the committee that, currently, about 92 per cent of goods and services are sourced from local suppliers.
The city’s action comes one day after Trump gave Canada a 30-day reprieve on the imposition of a 25 per cent tariff while the federal government implements a $1.3-billion border reinforcement plan.
But the threat of a trade war continues to loom over the economy, the committee heard Tuesday, and threatens to disrupt the city’s supply chains, increase the price of goods, and decrease its purchasing power by virtue of a lower Canadian dollar.
Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Rawlson King argued the city has to adapt its procurement practises to “address the ominous economic threat that confronts the nation and our city.”
“The deferred U.S. tariffs represent more than just a trade challenge for us: they present an opportunity for Ottawa to demonstrate leadership in supporting Canadian industries,” he said. “Our city’s annual procurement budget represents significant purchasing power.”
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The surge in the “buy Canadian” movement, he said, demonstrates that most people understand what’s at stake in this trade war.
“I believe we should not only buy Canadian, but ensure that our savings and investments are held by Canadian institutions,” added King, who advanced a motion to ensure the city follows that course of action.
“We must clearly indicate our unity as Canadians to oppose the largest economic threat to this nation since the Great Depression,” he argued.
Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard asked staff to explore how future tariffs could increase construction and road repair costs, while Orléans West-Innes Coun. Laura Dudas introduced a notice of motion to have the city suspend its accounts on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
She said the platform, owned by ardent Trump supporter and billionaire Elon Musk, no longer respects the values of transparency, impartiality or accountability. Musk bought the platform in October 2022.
The motion will be voted on at the next meeting of the finance committee.
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