Latest Trump tariffs won't have 'enormous impact' on N.L, says business professor

Maddie Ryan · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 03, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Workers successful Newfoundland and Labrador look to beryllium harmless for present from U.S. President Donald Trump's latest circular of tariffs, according to 1 Memorial University professor. 

Trump's 25 per cent tariff connected each overseas automobiles comes into effect Thursday morning– fundamentally ensuring that manufacturing happens solely successful the United States, according to concern prof Tom Cooper. 

Cooper said luckily for this province, Newfoundland and Labrador does not manufacture automobiles oregon their parts.

"We person immoderate companies that merchantability into car companies– much predominantly software, possibly immoderate services," Cooper told CBC News. "There's not an tremendous impact versus a batch of our different much accepted industries."

The White House said that caller tariff volition use to Canadian-made rider vehicles, but determination is simply a caveat — it will only beryllium levied connected the worth of all non-U.S. content in that automobile.

Cooper said the tariff volition person a bigger interaction connected automotive workers successful provinces similar Ontario. But, helium said, consumers successful this state might feel the fallout successful regards to the prices of caller cars.

"[For] existing stock, the prices are already set, but caller banal whitethorn bespeak the accrued tariff prices," helium said.

Trump besides announced a 10 per cent "baseline tariff" connected each goods coming into the United States. However, the White House said Canada volition not beryllium subjected to that further baseline tariff complaint due to the fact that the previously announced border-related tariffs will proceed to use instead.

WATCH | Tom Cooper shares his concern insights connected the caller tariffs:

Though Canada has been spared from those levies, Cooper said determination remains a menace of further tariffs.

That anxiousness was besides felt by Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour president Jessica McCormick, who spoke to CBC News from Ottawa Wednesday evening. 

From her perspective, Wednesday's announcement didn't alteration anything. Just due to the fact that the state mostly won't consciousness the effects of the automotive tariff, she said that doesn't mean Newfoundland and Labrador is retired of the woods.

With some national and provincial elections connected the horizon, McCormick said the adjacent question of governmental leaders need to "be bold" astir shifting distant from dependence connected the U.S., and indispensable bolster section industries.

"We request a much modern employment security strategy that is responsive to the needs of today's workers," McCormick said. 

"It's astir making definite that workers are astatine the array successful Newfoundland and Labrador."

Trump's antagonistic remarks astir Canada and his usage of a ample motion to explicate his reciprocal tariffs connected different countries "speaks to the level of chaos that we're going to beryllium dealing with," said McCormick.

She added that Canadian workers won't beryllium the lone ones affected by these economical measures. 

"What hasn't been acknowledged from the White House is however these tariffs volition interaction workers and wounded moving radical connected some sides of the border," McCormick said.

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