Mayor Martin Ritsma has talked up Canada’s economic advantages with business leaders attending the annual Canadian Dairy XPO in Stratford.
Ritsma said the XPO brings together ideas and innovation and promotes partnerships and cooperation, and with 30 countries represented, it’s a good time to promote our country.
It’s a “stressful” time across Canada, with US President Donald Trump set to announce retaliatory tariffs this afternoon.
The mayor said Canada has free trade agreements with 51 countries and it’s our responsibility to work on growing global relationships.
“Later this spring I am going back to Japan. We are going to once again take a look at what’s available in the South Pacific. It’s our responsibility to search out those opportunities.”
Ritsma said potential economic impact through additional tariffs would be the “biggest on our country in many years.”
“We have 15 manufacturing companies in the city that are generating auto parts. Some that stay within Canada but most go across the border, not once, not twice, but up to six and seven times before we have a finished product.”
Ritsma is part of a local group that meets to gather information and provide tariff updates.
They have hosted Flavio Volpe, leader of the Auto Parts Manufacturing Association, and Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae discussed how the provincial government is handling the tariff situation.
“We need to support small businesses, big manufacturing, we need to provide them with as much information as possible.”
Trump has dubbed today “Liberation Day,” and the levies will bring “tremendous wealth” back to the U.S.
