'Slight sigh of relief' from Manitoba industries as Canada exempt from most new tariffs, but fears remain

Ian Froese · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 03, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Industry leaders successful Manitoba are relieved Canada is spared from the caller "retaliatory" tariffs the United States levelled Wednesday connected dozens of countries, but it doesn't mean the country's economy will be left unscathed.

U.S. President Donald Trump released his long-feared plan for tariffs against a list of countries Wednesday, but the minimum tariff of 10 per cent connected each imports won't use to Canada and Mexico. Previously announced border-related tariffs will proceed to use instead.

But fixed the interconnectedness of planetary proviso chains, the repercussions of the caller tariffs volition beryllium felt successful Canada, albeit indirectly, said Andrea Ladouceur, president of the Bioscience Association of Manitoba.

Some Canadian businesses person manufacturing facilities in the countries present being targeted by Trump's across-the-board tariffs, she said.

"They volition beryllium impacted financially," she said, "and those companies employment Canadians."

Ladouceur is besides disquieted from a humanitarian perspective. Tariff rates successful the double-digits have been applied to some countries with underdeveloped economies, which will struggle to grip an economical broadside of that magnitude, she said.

"We cognize they person a batch of manufacturing related to garments and different things, and for them to get different dense interaction financially … is truly hard to watch," said Ladouceur.

While the caller 10 per cent baseline tariff doesn't use to Canada, Trump still followed Wednesday connected a promised 25 per cent tariff connected "all foreign-made" automobiles, arsenic of midnight ET Thursday.

The existing tariffs connected alloy and aluminum will remain successful place.

'Still a small shocked': lumber manufacture rep

The information different imported goods to the U.S. aren't subject to new levies brought a "slight suspiration of relief" from the representatives of the Manitoba government's U.S. Trade Council, which held a virtual gathering aft Trump's announcement, said Ladouceur, who sits connected the council.

Liz Kovach, president of Supply-Build Canada — which represents lumber retailers — said she wasn't expecting her manufacture to beryllium exempt.

"I'm inactive a small shocked by this news," she said Wednesday afternoon.

"I was not expecting this, but I americium blessed to perceive that … they realized that the tariffs are truly a atrocious idea, and they are an further taxation that the U.S. lawsuit would person to pay."

Cam Dahl, wide manager with Manitoba Pork, besides expressed relief, though helium was speedy to admit a U.S. president known for changing his caput could bash truthful again.

In the meantime, "we need to proceed to look for opportunities to diversify our markets," Dahl said.

"We request to proceed to interruption down interprovincial barriers, and we request to proceed to scope retired to our partners successful the U.S. to enactment unneurotic to get that connection crossed that we're amended disconnected as partners arsenic opposed to opponents."

A typical with the manufacturing manufacture echoed that.

"The world is this could alteration tomorrow," added Terry Shaw, Prairies vice-president for the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Association.

Canada needs "to safeguard against these tariff threats, and to mitigate immoderate of the imaginable harm that could come," helium said.

Manitoba Chambers of Commerce president Chuck Davidson said the continued uncertainty is impeding decision-making and drying up orders for immoderate businesses.

"I deliberation there's nary question that we request to proceed to look astatine however bash we go little Trump-reliant and little U.S.-reliant," said Davidson.