GTA mayors convene to shield local businesses from looming U.S. tariffs

Mayors across the Greater Toronto Area are mobilizing to protect local businesses from new U.S. tariffs announced Monday by President Donald Trump, with tariffs set to take effect in mid-August.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she will reconvene the mayor's economic action team — a panel of business and labour leaders first set up last year when Trump imposed the initial round of tariffs on Canadian goods. "We will do our part. We will support workers, the businesses and the families," Chow told reporters Tuesday. The action team already has a 10-point plan that includes changes to the city's procurement practices and a campaign to encourage residents to shop locally.

The new tariffs will cover a wide range of Canadian products, from wine to hockey sticks to cement, according to a White House fact sheet. Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish emphasized the urgency of finding new trading partners. "We have to find new trade partners in other parts of the world that are not going to inflict outrageous penalties on us," Parrish said, noting that local businesses cannot depend on the U.S. as their sole market.

Chow said she will follow the lead of federal and provincial governments in mounting a coordinated response. "Absolutely, we'll take a Team Canada approach." The mayors did not announce specific new measures beyond reactivating existing task forces, but each committed to working with business leaders to help companies diversify their markets.