Mayor Olivia Chow joined a coalition of two dozen of her peers from cities across North America Friday to speak out in opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump‘s trade war.
Following a three-hour meeting behind closed doors at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., mayors from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico spoke to reporters about their shared concerns for their respective constituents.
“We are united as mayors across North America in standing up against senseless, unjustified tariffs that threaten jobs and make life more expensive for families in our communities,” said Chow after the meeting, which had been organized by the United States Conference of Mayors.
Columbus, Ohio Mayor Andrew Ginther warned of “serious and lasting damage” to their economies and business relationships if Trump continues attacking America’s best partners.
“We just care about what’s best for our residents,” he said. “Trade benefits us all. Tariffs hurt us all.”
On Thursday, Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on cars imported to the U.S. beginning April 3. Mass auto industry layoffs are expected throughout the continent. This shook Lansing, Michigan Mayor Andy Schor and Mayor Daniel Serrano Palacios of Cuautitlán Izcalli in the State of Mexico.
The interpreter for Serrano Palacios said his municipality is deeply intertwined with the Ford Motor Company, which operates an assembly plant there, and the damage Trump is wreaking with his trade war will be felt most acutely by the people working there. This mayors’ meeting is an “expression of our best hopes,” he said, at preventing that.
Schor said while he worries the people in Michigan’s capital city may soon be unable to afford cars and homes as a result of the tariffs, he was heartened to see such a broad spectrum of politicians stand together — Democrats, Republicans, Canadians and Mexicans. He said this was unprecedented, and he would rush home to tell his state representatives about it.
Rebecca Bligh, a Vancouver councillor who is president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, said the trade war has created an “existential crisis” and an “uncertain future” for many. She said she is fielding questions from residents about whether their businesses will survive, their children will get fed and their mortgages will be paid. Of the U.S. and Canada, she said, “Our bond was once the envy of the world.”
Earlier Friday morning, Chow told U.S. media she worries Canada’s relationship with America may never recover.
It’s “scary,” she said to Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” show just before dawn. The next four years may erode intergovernmental trust for generations to come, she said.
“We’re hurt, we’re going to fight back,” she said. “We’re going to rely on ourselves. We’re going to make our own things, buy our own goods.”
Chow described Toronto’s push to become less reliant on the U.S. She mentioned Toronto’s “Love Local” campaign with its accompanying supports for local businesses and new biases against awarding U.S. companies city contracts.
Scarborough spoke wistfully about how the notion the two countries could fight used to be “preposterous” — fodder for comedy films. It’s the “South Park movie, except it’s real!” he said.
Later Friday morning, Chow made her second appearance on CNN in as many weeks, where she warned Americans too will be left scarred by a trade war.
“Unfortunately, because of the tariffs — the attack on Canada — (the price of) everything is going to go up,” Chow said on CNN News Central. “The price of cars is going to go up. If you need a car, buy it now. It will go up dramatically. Costs of gasoline, homes, groceries, food — everything is going to go up.”
Echoing Prime Minister Mark Carney’s comments Thursday, Chow said “everything is on the table” in terms of a response to U.S. economic aggression.
”(In Toronto) we’re now saying because you treat us badly, you’re causing us to lose jobs, we’re going to stop buying American goods,” she said.
Chow was again asked if she thought frayed Canada-U.S. relations could be knit back together.
“Things are so unpredictable,” she said. “How can you build a relationship when there’s no trust?”
Chow had quietly slipped away from city council Thursday night to fly out to Washington, D.C. She was in the air during the late-evening debate among councillors about raising their own salaries.
City staff had studied councillor remuneration and determined a 24 per cent raise could be warranted, to keep pay competitive. The mayor called this “too steep,” and said politicians shouldn’t be able to approve their own pay.
Nevertheless, council gave itself the full 24 per cent raise, bumping councillors’ annual pay up $33,000 this year, from $137,537.40 to $170,588.60.
