Hamilton mayor heads to Washington after Trump says he'll go ahead with tariffs on Canadian goods

Justin Chandler · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 03, 2025 5:31 PM EST | Last Updated: March 3

Hamilton's politician is headed to Washington this week to advocator against tariffs that President Donald Trump says helium volition impose connected goods from Canada opening Tuesday.

"These tariffs would woody a billion-dollar economical stroke to our city," Andrea Horwath said successful a quality merchandise Monday. "Thousands of Hamiltonians trust connected manufacturing jobs to enactment their families."

Horwath volition beryllium successful D.C. from Tuesday to Friday. Her trip coincides with Great Lakes Day, and she would beryllium joined astatine the meeting "by implicit a twelve mayors and elected officials from Ontario and Quebec advocating for the economical and biology wellness of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin," her bureau said. 

The travel is one of respective ways the mayor says she is supporting Hamilton's manufacturing assemblage successful the aftermath of looming tariffs.

In a quality league Monday afternoon, Trump restated his plan to enforce a 25 per cent levy connected virtually each Canadian and Mexican imports. He antecedently said determination volition beryllium 25 per cent steel- and aluminum-specific tariffs coming March 12 that could stack connected apical of the wide tariffs. 

Also connected Monday, the politician convened a roundtable gathering that included 14 of Hamilton's largest manufacturers, the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority, the Hamilton International Airport, metropolis leaders and section chambers of commerce. They met to "assess impacts and sermon strategies to support section jobs and industries."

Horwath said different actions she's taken successful effect to imaginable tariffs see introducing a question for the metropolis to bargain section arsenic good as Canadian goods and services, and moving with municipal organizations to dependable Hamilton's concerns.

Also successful effect to the tariff threats, metropolis assembly is scheduled to sermon connected Wednesday a plan to alteration its procurement policies. 

Hamilton industries already feeling effects

Liberal enactment campaigner Chrystia Freeland spoke Monday greeting to workers and reporters astatine Hamilton alloy shaper Stelco, where Freeland said accumulation had already dropped due to the fact that of the tariff threats.

CBC Hamilton asked Stelco genitor institution Cleveland Cliffs for much accusation but did not person a effect earlier publication.

In February, workers astatine National Steel Car successful Hamilton besides said tariff threats were already hurting business. 

At Stelco, Freeland said she was gathering galore workers for the 3rd oregon 4th time, since she visited erstwhile Trump enactment tariffs connected Canadian alloy successful 2018. 

Freeland said Canada fought backmost past and she would bash truthful again if elected adjacent week arsenic person of the governing Liberals. Freeland said she would enforce "dollar for dollar retaliation," targeted connected circumstantial products and businesses specified arsenic Tesla. 

Freeland said Monday the tariffs are a "colossally stupid, self-mutilating plan" that volition harm Americans and if Canadians combat back, U.S. citizens volition archer Trump to backmost off. 

Freeland spent astir 20 minutes speaking to Stelco workers, telling them Canadians are down them and asking them however they felt astir the tariff threat.

She told reporters 1 idiosyncratic said his woman is making efforts to bargain Canadian, and different told her he'd speech to his chap national members successful the U.S. and get them to advocator against tariffs. 

The different Liberal enactment candidates — Karina Gould, Frank Baylis and Mark Carney — person besides mostly agreed that Canada should contented retaliatory tariffs and enactment to fortify the nationalist economy.

Niagara government, manufacture gathering regularly

In Niagara Falls, Ont., immoderate American tourists told CBC News they were determination to amusement they reason the tariffs.

The region's manager of economical development, George Spezza, said manufacture and authorities leaders are gathering regularly to measure expected impacts to businesses specified arsenic manufacturing. He said tariffs would interaction astir 30,000 jobs successful the region.

WATCH | How Niagara Falls is reacting to looming U.S. tariffs connected Canadian goods: 

The economical menace has led to hard feelings, with radical astatine sports and amusement events booing during the playing of the U.S. nationalist anthem. 

In the Ontario municipality of West Lincoln successful Niagara, council voted to instrumentality down an American flag that had been up successful a assemblage centre for years.

"Our neighbours from the southbound aren't needfully respecting us," said William Reilly, the councillor who brought the question forward. 

Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said Canadians and Americans person much to summation unneurotic than apart.