Mississauga calls on federal candidates to ‘ensure economic stability’ as Trump tariffs come into effect

With U.S. President Donald Trump's 25 percent tariff on Canada’s auto sector, and uncertainty around the impacts of sweeping charges on goods he laid out Wednesday for most of the rest of the world, the City of Mississauga is asking federal candidates to ensure, if elected, supports will be in place to protect local businesses and workers.

After months of uncertainty Trump’s heavily criticized tariff policy, which many American experts fear will cause a sharp recession in the country that could cripple millions of workers, was announced as economists said it will likely trigger a long-term downturn. 

A 25 percent tariff on all foreign made vehicles, Canada included, will come into effect as of midnight. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce recently reported that about “22 percent of North American vehicles are produced by the interconnected automotive supply chain between Michigan and Ontario.” The national business advocacy group estimates that the price of a pickup truck, with the tariffs in place, could be more than $8,000 (USD) higher for American consumers. 

Beyond automobiles, the 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy products and 25 percent on steel and aluminum products will still be in place, but most other Canadian goods covered under the trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, which Trump himself signed in 2018, will not be subject to any new American taxes.

Wednesday’s decision by the heavily criticized U.S. President, who faces a rejection of his Canadian tariffs even from Republican senators, raises concern for businesses in Mississauga, in a city whose economy is highly integrated with suppliers and customers south of the border. 

City staff previously warned Mississauga’s manufacturing industry will be the hardest hit by the U.S. tariffs with more than 52,300 jobs directly supporting trade south of the border. Roughly 89,000 jobs in Mississauga (18 percent of total employment) directly support exports to the U.S..

Mississauga City officials are now engaging federal candidates in the upcoming election with the Mississauga Matters campaign, which outlines several priorities top of mind for Canada’s seventh largest municipality. Amid cross-border turmoil and uncertainty about what the future of Mississauga’s economy will look like, one of the main focuses of the campaign is addressing trade tensions.  

In an effort to protect local businesses and ensure Mississauga’s tax dollars do not flow to Canada’s southern neighbour, the City reconfigured its procurement policy earlier this month to focus on local suppliers and steer clear from American companies. While trade policy falls outside municipal jurisdiction, City staff and elected officials have also been pushing residents to buy local along with advocating for local business interests to higher levels of government. 

In anticipation of potential job losses and rising costs, Mississauga “is urging the federal government to work collaboratively with municipalities and provinces to reduce the economic fallout of tariffs” and “is calling for all levels of government to work together to support Canadian businesses and ensure economic stability during this period of uncertainty.”

Mayor Carolyn Parrish, like elected officials country-wide, has acknowledged Trump’s tariffs will be destructive to the local economy, previously stating, “We are living in an unprecedented moment. Mississauga, a hub for manufacturing and trade, is not immune to these impacts, and many of our residents and businesses will be affected.” 

The City of Mississauga is asking federal officials for increased funding for stormwater infrastructure as City officials predict extreme weather events will become more frequent.

(Mississauga Fire/X) 

Along with addressing trade uncertainty, Mississauga’s campaign requests the next federal government work with the City on flood and disaster mitigation programs “to safeguard against extreme weather events and climate change impacts” — something that has increasingly been on the municipality’s radar after two ‘100-year storms’ saturated the city last summer. Though the City has poured more funding into its stormwater budget to respond to the climate crisis, City officials have cautioned the burdens of funding the infrastructure required is too much for municipalities to bear. The latest campaign ask includes funding from Ottawa for stormwater infrastructure and shoreline protection as these extreme weather events become more frequent and severe in the face of climate change. 

As Mississauga’s MiWay ridership continues to ramp up following a significant post-pandemic recovery, the City is also asking for more federal investments into local and regional transit infrastructure as the municipality pushes toward a less car-dependent future. 

The latest asks include funding all-day, two-way GO Train service on the Milton GO Rail corridor — a project City officials say is “vital to ease congestion, improve regional connectivity and unlock economic potential” — as well as supporting the construction of a new transit facility in Mississauga with $500 million in funding to enable public transit expansion and increase affordable housing. While the federal government recently announced $112 million in funding over 10 years starting in 2026 for Mississauga’s transit system as part of its Canada Public Transit Fund, the City has also been pleading to the provincial government to cover the estimated $65 million in operating costs associated with Mississauga’s Hurontario LRT project, which the Mayor previously said will place a substantial burden on the local tax base. As those calls continue to go unheeded, Mississauga is now looking to its federal counterparts for financial support. 

The campaign to highlight needs the City wants Ottawa to address also includes measures to tackle housing, affordability and food insecurity, which The Pointer will focus on in its federal election coverage in the coming weeks. 

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @mcpaigepeacock

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