Lethbridge and District Chamber of Commerce’s CEO says it’s not only chambers from across Canada concerned about the impact tariffs will have, but in the United States, as well.
Cyndi Crane says on Tuesday the U.S. Chamber of Commerce put out a statement urging the U.S. government to end the tariffs. The statement included a quote from a Wyoming machinery company that believes the company will see an, “immediate detrimental impact as a result of these tariffs.”
As well there was a quote from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, which explains how tariffs on Canada and Mexico will create unnecessary pressure on Kentucky businesses and families.
The quote reads, “As a state that thrives on trade, we know firsthand how these policies disrupt supply chain, increase costs and threaten jobs.”
“I think it’s really important to also showcase American businesses are stepping up saying this is dangerous,” Crane notes. “Just as Canadian businesses are stepping up and saying this is dangerous. This is not good for anybody in Canada, America or Mexico.”
The tariff situation has ignited the conversation about inter-provincial trade in Canada, which Crane says is something that is needed.
“One of the things we just did as the Lethbridge Chamber is we just had approved a policy on inter-provincial trade. The Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce will be presenting that in May at the Alberta Chamber of Commerce AGM and we have people jumping on it to co-sponsor it. We’re going to be releasing that policy quickly.”
“That’s where that inter-provincial trade policy is so important and it’s essential. We’ve heard the federal government talk about it and say in 30 days, we’re going to have this great cross-country inter-provincial trade going, but it’s not going to happen that fast.”
She adds moving forward the Lethbridge Chamber will be working with the Alberta Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on how to address these concerns. She says along with those organizations, they will also be working closely with the Montana Chamber of Commerce, who they have built a close relationship with over the years.
“We’ve got concerns, but we have action that we can take,” Crane says. “We’re going to have a meeting in Ottawa and there’s going to be several other European Chambers of Commerce meeting together, as well because now this has turned into a worldwide issue. It isn’t just a North American issue. This is going to affect the entire globe.”
Crane says one thing that is important to remember is the tariffs are a political issue and not a citizen-to-citizen issue.
