In the face of threatened new US tariffs on Canadian goods, city officials are re-assessing municipal purchases and want to keep track of how local businesses are affected.
Intended to help monitor the situation, the city launched a new trade and tariff resource hub on Monday.
“The city’s substantial manufacturing, industrial, and commercial sectors are closely tied to international commerce,” Mayor Cam Guthrie said in a post on the city’s website. “With many thousands of jobs potentially affected, we cannot sit idly by. We must ensure that each one of us supports our local economy and buys Canadian. We need to take the extra steps to research where our products are made.”
Nearly all of the city’s purchases, 98.5 per cent, come from Canadian vendors, the post states. Of those, 29 per cent are sourced from Guelph-based businesses.
“While we prioritize local suppliers, we recognize the complex nature of supply chains,” CAO Tara Baker added. “Many products purchased by the city, even from Canadian suppliers, may contain components manufactured in the U.S. or elsewhere.
“We want to emphasize that the City of Guelph understands the complexities of the situation and remains committed to working with all levels of government to advocate for the protection of local jobs and the economic well-being of Guelph and Canada as a whole.”
In addition to the resource hub, city staff is reviewing purchasing practices in light of the threatened tariffs, the post continues. Changes deemed necessary will be presented to council for consideration.
Also, a group business service providers was created in an effort to help co-ordinate local supports for the business community, as well as hear its concerns.