Montreal, Quebec & Laval mayors heading to Washington this week

After the provincial premiers, the mayors of Quebec’s three largest cities will now be heading to Washington in the hope of convincing the Trump administration to backtrack on the tariff issue.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand, and Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer will be heading to the American capital this week to take part in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Alliance’s “Great Lakes Day.”

During this event, some thirty mayors from Canadian and American cities will discuss how to build ties between them.

However, this week’s meeting will take place in a special context due to the tariff war that is beginning between Canada and the United States. The 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian products came into effect Tuesday in the United States, and Canada is also initiating its response. Only Canadian energy is targeted by a lower customs duty, at 10 per cent.

According to Mayor Plante, the mission to Washington will be an opportunity for Quebec and Canadian cities to warn American leaders that the tariff war will also have repercussions for them.

“The citizens of both countries will suffer the consequences of this economic war and it is our duty, as a city, to do everything in our power to preserve as many ties as possible with our allies,” she said Tuesday in a press release published on the eve of the start of the mission.

“Tariffs represent a danger not only for the Canadian economy, but also for the American economy, by creating inflation on both sides of the border and disruptions in supply and production chains,” she added.

For his part, Mayor Marchand felt that this mission to Washington will be “crucial” because of the current political context.

“We intend to make the point to the American elected officials on Capitol Hill how the imposition of customs tariffs on our products will greatly affect Americans, whether through an increase in the price of goods or, in the event of counter-tariffs, losses for the American economy,” he said.

In Laval, hundreds of jobs are at risk because of the tariff war, warned Mayor Boyer.

“The issue of tariffs is a concern,” he acknowledged. “We will therefore collaborate on initiatives aimed at preserving trade on both sides of the border.”

Another attempt

For over a month, Canada has been increasing diplomatic efforts to remind American elected officials that the harmful effects of customs duties will also be felt south of the border.

Many federal ministers have taken turns in Washington in recent weeks, while the premiers of the provinces and territories travelled there in mid-January for a meeting of the Council of the Federation.

After a trip to the American capital, the federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, had mentioned that many of her interlocutors had been “surprised” to discover to what extent the U.S. economy could be affected by a tariff war.

She had conceded, however, that “when it comes to working with President Trump, we know that the ultimate decision-maker is him.”

Canada’s response to the tariffs includes a surtax on $30 billion in goods immediately and tariffs on the remaining $125 billion in American products 21 days later.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews