Trump tariff threat: With businesses on edge, Manitoba convenes U.S. trade council

The Manitoba government says it’s convening its trade council against the backdrop of a trade war between Canada and the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Canadian products over the weekend, affecting a list of sectors from textiles to toiletries.

Prime Minister Mark Carney promised dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs starting Sept. 8.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says the latest tariffs are an “attack on Canadian workers and businesses.”

The province says the meeting with the trade council will be to discuss the impact of the new tariffs on Manitoba businesses, workers and exporters, as well as to focus on protecting jobs and ensuring the province’s priorities are reflected in Ottawa’s response.

“We’re going to keep standing up for Manitoba’s interests, work closely with our federal partners and make sure Manitoba businesses and workers have the support they need,” Kinew said.

Earlier Monday, Jamie Moses, minister of business, mining, trade and job creation, said the province is waiting to hear from the federal government on its tariff-relief plan before announcing what supports it’ll provide. He says Manitoba has a menu of options but wouldn’t elaborate.

Moses says he plans to have a direct conversation with Dominic LeBlanc, the federal trade minister, by the end of the week.

Winnipeg businesses on edge

Meanwhile the president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce says businesses are on edge as they prepare for what could be a very tough road ahead.

“The 50 per cent tariffs will apply to approximately 5.2 per cent of Manitoba’s exports to the United States,” said Loren Remillard. “That constitutes hundreds of millions of dollars that now are going to be impacted. And not just impacted; we are talking about some industries from agricultural to manufacturing where their very existence is in question.

Remillard says he’s been fielding calls all weekend since Carney announced Friday that Canada backed out of a trade deal with the U.S. He says while the anxiety is palpable in the business community, his message is not to panic.

“There’s some concern as to ‘how am I going to make payroll, how am I going to keep the lights on,’ but at the same time, the one thing that really defines entrepreneurialism is that ability to have a plan and adapt when things don’t necessarily go according to plan.”

‘People are stressed. People are anxious’

One industry that could be heavily impacted is trucking, with much lower cross-border freight volumes.

The Manitoba Trucking Association, which is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, represents 10,000 employees and more than 75 per cent of trucks on the road in the province. The association says it too can feel the tariff anxiety.

“Trucking company owners, whether they’re a small company or a larger company, they’ve got a lot of families that they feel responsible for, ensuring that they can feed their families and make their mortgage payments, so it’s a lot of responsibilities on the shoulders of those trucking company owners. So yeah I think everybody is under a lot of stress right now,” said Susan Green, the association’s communications manager.

“People are stressed, people are anxious, people are concerned about their future. What does that look like.”

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and MTA will be part of the U.S. trade council meeting.

“To begin to start to craft what does a Manitoba response within that team Canada approach look like, what are the specific needs Manitoba businesses from the provincial government to help really carry the day and address the impacts that we’re going to see,” said Remillard.

–With files from The Canadian Press