This is how GTHA municipalities say they will respond to Trump’s tariffs

Motorists make their way towards Canada, at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry in Buffalo, N.Y. on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford are vowing to fight back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on all Canadian exports and goods.

Mayors around the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area (GTHA) are also doing their part, with several announcing plans to hit back against tariffs on a municipal level.

• READ MORE: Trump vows to match Canada’s retaliatory tariffs ‘immediately.’ Live trade war updates here.

Mississauga

In a letter to Mississauga residents and businesses Tuesday, Mayor Carolyn Parrish said that the city will be impacted by Trump’s tariffs, with the manufacturing sector particularly vulnerable.

Initial projections estimate about 600,000 job losses, Parrish wrote in her letter, which amounts to a two to three per cent increase in the unemployment rate.

The mayor says the city will pass amendments to its procurement bylaw Wednesday, “which will allow us to prioritize Canadian and non-U.S. suppliers when possible, especially for medium and high-value projects and streamline the process to support more local, diverse, and smaller businesses.”

Parrish says Mississauga spent over $730 million on procurements last year.

She also says the city will support local businesses in diversifying into new markets beyond the U.S.

Toronto

Mayor Olivia Chow took to X on Tuesday, writing, “As the US imposes tariffs, hardworking Torontonians are worried. People are concerned about their jobs and cost of food. Toronto stands united in a Team Canada approach to respond to this senseless trade action. We will get through this together.”

Last month, the City of Toronto voted unanimously in favour of a plan to develop a “comprehensive, multifaceted” campaign to encourage residents to “join the City of Toronto’s divisions and its agencies and corporations in purchasing locally made Canadian goods and services.”

However, the city manager said a blanket ban on U.S. suppliers “would not be prudent” and estimated that American suppliers account for less than 10 per cent of city contracts within the $19 billion operating budget.

Vaughan

On Tuesday, the City of Vaughan unanimously voted to prohibit U.S.-based companies from being awarded procurement contracts for the duration tariffs are active.

Councillors also voted in favour of releasing funding sources required to address any additional budget requirements as a result of the tariffs.

“This is not a fight that we went looking for,” Mayor Steven Del Duca said at a Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday. “But in the face of what’s now being delivered by the American government, there is a requirement for this to be an all hands on deck situation and reaction to protect tens of thousands of jobs in Vaughan.”

“This is not a moment for half measures. This is a moment where every level of government has to be in lockstep,” Del Duca added, referring to Ford’s earlier announcement of a sweeping ban on U.S.-based companies in government procurement.

Halton Hills

The Town of Halton Hills announced Tuesday that it has amended its purchasing policy to encourage staff to focus on procuring local goods and services.

“We’re all in this together,” said Mayor Ann Lawlor. “Our response to threats to our economy and our sovereignty is to buy Canadian wherever possible. While we’ll stay within the trade rules, our first choice is to support local.”

Staff were also directed earlier in the year to stop making purchases on Amazon where feasible.

Hamilton

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath is in Washington, D.C. this week, participating in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative’s annual Great Lakes Day.

Horwath told CP24 Monday that she plans to use the opportunity to champion Hamilton’s manufacturing sector and fight for the city’s economic stability.

“We’re meeting with senators, diplomats, ambassadors, and all kinds of different people because you can’t just sit silently while these kinds of things have such a significant impact on the local economy, business owners, and the workforce,” Horwath said in the interview.

The city has already introduced a ‘Buy Local, Buy Canadian Procurement Policy’ motion designed to make changes to how it procures contracts.

Last month, Horwath told CP24 that the tariffs could cause a nearly $1 billion hit to the local economy.

Hamilton is Canada’s biggest steel producer and its two largest plants – ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Stelco – employ nearly 6,000 people in the city.

An additional 25 per cent tariff on steel and aluminum is expected to come March 12. It will be on top of the 25 per cent tariffs that went into effect Tuesday.

Brampton

On Monday, the City of Brampton announced their own ‘Made in Canada’ response to Trump’s tariffs.

Mayor Patrick Brown said the retaliatory strategy is two-fold, starting with a review of the city’s current procurement – which he said totals $1.9 billion – and then by blocking American businesses from future contracts in favour of Canadian ones.

“It’s really saying that we’re not going to take this lying down, that we’re going to stand up for our jobs, and there has to be pushback, a bully will continue to be a bully if there isn’t pushback,” Brown said at a news conference Monday.

Aurora

In a statement Tuesday, Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas said his town will ban U.S.-based companies from bidding on municipal contracts, ensuring that “taxpayer dollars support Canadian industries, workers, and communities.”

“Aurora will not stand idly by as our workers, residents and local economy are put at risk,” Mrakas wrote in the statement.