Group of Canadian and U.S. mayors speaks out against trade tariffs

AJAX, Ont. — A group of Canadian and U.S. mayors says the economies in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River area are tightly integrated and the imposition of trade tariffs would impact both sides of the border.

The mayors attending the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative annual conference in Ajax, Ont., cautioned Thursday against isolationist trade policies.

Niagara Falls, N.Y., Mayor Paul Dyster says the American mayors “stand shoulder to shoulder with our Canadian cousins in the face of escalating rhetoric that threatens to damage 200 years of peace and economic prosperity in the region.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has already imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and has threatened automotive tariffs as well.

The mayors pointed out in a statement that if the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region were a country — encompassing Quebec, Ontario and the eight Great Lake states — it would be the world’s third-largest economy.

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Collingwood, Ont., Mayor Sandra Cooper says the group is dedicated to protecting the economic prosperity of the region.

“Due to the integrated nature of its economy, both sides of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region would be seriously impacted by the imposition of trade tariffs,” the mayors said.

The Canadian Press