Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic responds to U.S. tariffs March 5, 2025

I want to assure our residents, businesses, and workers that City of Kitchener Council and staff have been proactively taking measures to understand the impacts to our local economy. We are working closely with other orders of government, business organizations and advocacy groups to mobilize a coordinated approach to support jobs and our economy.    

This has included work with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and its Big City Mayors’ Caucus where, last month, we met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Nathan Erskine-Smith to discuss the coordinated actions of federal and local governments to respond to tariffs. This issue has also been on the agenda of the Ontario Big City Mayors’ Caucus with strong support for a coordinated, all-of-government approach to keep Ontario jobs safe.  

A few weeks ago, I took part in a delegation to Washington with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities along with Canadian Premiers, including Premier Ford, Chair of the Council of the Federation. Our message was clear –U.S.-imposed tariffs will be just as damaging to the American economy as they will to Canada. Our long-standing economic ties with the United States have built strong and vibrant economies in both countries and these tariff measures will harm us both. 

This message will continue to be delivered by myself and over 20 Canadian and U.S. Mayors this week, as part of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative via a series of congressional and other business meetings in Washington, DC over the next few days. The Great Lakes region represents 50% of Canada-U.S. trade and collaboration with our U.S. peers in this region is a top priority to advance our message. I am honoured to join together with other Ontario and Quebec Mayors to fight for Kitchener, for Ontario and for Canada at this critical time to engage directly with U.S. policymakers on issues impacting cross border trade and regional prosperity. 

Given the uncertain trade landscape of the U.S. tariffs, Kitchener’s Council unanimously approved a resolution on February 10, to activate a City of Kitchener response that would minimize the impacts of tariffs and implement actions in support of our local economy. This includes direction to the Mayor, CAO and economic development teams to work in partnership with local business organizations to support our economy and promote a buy local approach. This work, a pillar of our long-standing partnerships with the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation (WREDC),our Business Improvement Areas, Chamber of Commerce and other local associations, is already underway and will be accelerated in the weeks and months to come. 

Part of our efforts also includes coordinating with area municipalities on a response. We have met jointly with area heads of council, CAOs and economic development leads, and WREDC to develop a shared action plan to support our local economy. 

Together with our CAO, we have also initiated a City of Kitchener Tariff and Trade Task Force, which has activated a plan that includes discussions with business leaders, industry representatives, and government officials to assess the full scope of these impacts for Kitchener business and residents and identify ways to support our economy. This includes advocating for the removal of any barriers to made-in-Canada procurement and the removal of inter-provincial trade barriers. We remain committed to advocating for policies that protect our local economy and will work tirelessly to mitigate any potential hardships. 

As a City, we are protected by the best practices that we have in place through our procurement policies and have already purchased 98 per cent of our goods and services through Ontario-based businesses. However, we are assessing contracts and will be monitoring supply chain impacts closely to pursue further buy-Canadian opportunities. Broader interpretation and policy changes related to procurement will require an all-of-government effort, as all municipalities must follow regulations from other orders of government. 

At this time, we urge businesses and workers who may be impacted to stay informed through the City’s website and reach out to our team for business consultations and support. We will continue to provide updates as Kitchener's Task Force and its partners have further information and initiatives to support our economy. 

Kitchener is strong, resilient, and innovative. We will do what we need to do to protect our economic interests. Together, we will navigate these challenges and ensure that Kitchener remains a thriving and prosperous community.  

Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, on behalf of Kitchener Council