Caledon offers resources, business survey amid tariff threats

Canada gets 30-day reprieve following eleventh-hour calls

By Brock Weir

An eleventh-hour agreement between Canada and the United States on Monday led to a 30-day delay in imposing “devastating” tariffs on Canadian goods going across the border – but Caledon's business community has stepped up with resources to help businesses adapt should they be put in place.

A trade war between the two nations was averted – at least temporarily – at the start of the week following talks between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump which led to additional measures to secure the border.

“Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion boarder plan – reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl,” said Trudeau in a statement on Monday afternoon. “Nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting the border.

“In addition, Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl, and money laundering. I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million.”

The delay in tariffs came after a fraught weekend when Trump threatened to impose them this week.

His intentions sparked a flurry of responses from all levels of government.

Had a deal not been reached on Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the Province intended to bar American companies from bidding on Provincial contracts, remove U.S.-produced beer, wine and spirits from LCBO shelves, and “rip up” Ontario's contract with Elon Musk's Starlink to bring high-speed internet to more remote parts of Ontario.

“We have temporarily averted tariffs that would have severely damaged our economy, giving time for more negotiations and time for cooler heads to prevail,” said Ford on Monday. “Thank you to the countless workers, union leaders, businesses and every day proud Canadians who rallied together to make this happen. With the U.S. pausing tariffs, Ontario will pause retaliatory measures. If President Trump proceeds with tariffs, we won't hesitate to remove American products off LCBO shelves or ban American companies from provincial procurement.

“Make no mistake, Canada and Ontario continue to stare down the threat of tariffs. Whether it's tomorrow, in a month or a year from now when we're renegotiating the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, President Trump will continue to use the threat of tariffs to get what he wants. We're already feeling the impact. So long as our trading relationship with our largest trading partner is up in the air, we will continue to see many potential projects frozen and projects that were already under way put at risk.”

The Town of Caledon's Economic Development team is offering to help businesses navigate tariff impacts. Explore the Tariff Resource Hub to access the latest news and resources, connect with staff, and shape advocacy priorities.
For more, visit https://www.caledonbusiness.ca/en/business-support/tariffs.aspx
The Town is also encouraging input to a survey they created on the impacts of the tariffs.
Take the 5-minute survey to let them know how your business is impacted by the tariffs to shape support programs and advocacy efforts.
For more, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CaledonTariffImpact.

With files from Mark Pavilons