Trade, Tariffs and Canada-U.S. Relations
The unprovoked threat by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on Canadian goods, the need to invoke stronger border controls, and contemplating Canada as the “51st State” has sparked a national reaction.
Unions have long said that free trade and deregulation leads to job losses and outsourcing. We need to focus on strategies that grow jobs and secure investments here at home.
The federal government has so far put up a strong response to the tariffs, but it’s not enough to go tit-for-tat with Trump. The next phase of our national response needs to be to Trump-proof our economy for years to come. We need an economic playbook that puts workers first.
Our Asks:
To take on this trade war, Canada’s next government needs to:
- Prepare further tariff, and non-tariff, retaliation measures
- Penalize firms that move work out of Canada, because of U.S. tariffs
- Develop an ambitious plan of workers supports
- Explore trade diversification
- Prepare for CUSMA’s 6-year review, identifying unfair U.S. trade practices
- Strengthen trade policies for low-emission industries
- Hold businesses accountable for supply chain human rights violations
- Build a comprehensive network of transportation infrastructure to move people and goods faster and more safely across the country.
- A more robust national transportation system will make our domestic supply chains more resilient and efficient and will improve the affordability and reliability of passenger rail and air travel.
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