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Home My WebLink About2-25-25 - No. 09 4 ll1 1 -00-4 N14GA�RA FA � - The City of Niagara Falls, Ontario Resolution February 25th, 2025 No. 9 Moved by: Councillor Pietrangelo Seconded by: Councillor Dabrowski Re: City of St. Catharines — Calls to the Provincial and Federal Governments to protect businesses impacted by potential Tariffs. THAT the Corporation of the City of Niagara Falls Council hereby receives and supports the letter dated February 19, 2025 from the City of St. Catharines, regarding Calls to the Provincial and Federal Governments to protect businesses impacted by potential Tarrifs. AND The Seal of the Corporation be hereto affixed. CARRIED WILLIAM G. MATSON, CITY CLERK JAMES M. DIODATI, MAYOR Niagaraaalls CANADA February 28, 2025 Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, At the Corporation of the City of Niagara Falls Council meeting held on February 25, 2025, the Niagara Falls City Council approved a Resolution in support of the letter received from the City of St. Catharines dated February 19, 2025, regarding the calls to the Provincial and Federal Governments to protect businesses impacted by potential Tarrifs. THAT the Corporation of the City of Niagara Falls Council hereby receives and supports the letter dated February 19, 2025 by the City of St. Catharines pertaining to calls to the Provincial and Federal Governments to protect businesses impacted by potential Tarrifs. Attached, please find a copy of the City of Niagara Falls' Resolution. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Bill Matson City Clerk cc. MPP, Jennifer Stevens, jstevens-co@ndp.on.ca MPP, Jeff Burch, jburch-qp@ndp.on.ca MPP, Wayne Gates, wgates-condp.on.ca MPP, Sam Oosterhoff, sam.00sterhoff a(�pc.ola.org Local Area Municipalities \ St. Catharines February 19, 2025 The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau Prime Minister of Canada House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Sent via email: justin.trudeauCa parl.gc.ca Re: Tariffs Our File 35.11.2 Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, At its meeting held on February 10, 2025, St. Catharines City Council approved the following motion: WHEREAS at the Niagara borders, 9.1 million people crossed into the US from Canada, and 9.3 million people crossed from the US into Canada; and WHEREAS a total of$119.5 billion in goods transited the borders in Niagara: $57.8 billion were exports to the US, and $61.6 billion were imports to Canada; and WHEREAS Niagara borders with the US accounted for 11.4% of total goods traded between Canada and the US; and WHEREAS Premier Doug Ford has stated the proposed tariffs could cost Ontario 500,000 jobs; and WHEREAS Ontario's upcoming Fortress Am-Can plan aims to bolster trade between Ontario and the U.S., highlighting key priorities such as national security, creating integrated and secure electricity grids, developing critical mineral supply chains, and advancing manufacturing supply chains and increased employment opportunities; and WHEREAS the federal government has created the Canada-US Relations Council to assist in addressing potential U.S. tariffs, with representatives from the auto sector, unions, industry, and agriculture included; and WHEREAS in 2023, 532 businesses in Niagara exported $5.9 billion in goods to the US, and the US market accounts for 72% of total exports from Niagara PO Box 3012, 50 Church St., St. Catharines, ON L2R 7C2 Tel: 905.688.5600 I TTY: 905.688.4889 I www.stcatharines.ca St. Catharines businesses, and in the City of St. Catharines, over 250 exporters and nearly 9,000 jobs; and WHEREAS the City of St. Catharines is a member of the Great lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, a growing coalition of more than 250 bi-national mayors, who continues to demonstrate how vital the marine economy to our city's, our region and our province; and WHEREAS municipalities have traditionally been restricted by trade agreements from giving preference to "Buy Canadian" initiatives; and WHEREAS the City of St. Catharines is actively working with local businesses and the Niagara Region to assess the potential impacts of the proposed U.S. tariffs and to develop strategies aimed at strengthening the local economy; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that St. Catharines City Council calls on the provincial and federal governments to continue to work together on a response that protects the Canadian economy through measures such as financial aid programs for businesses impacted by tariffs, expanding export opportunities outside of the US market, push for exemptions and tariff reductions via diplomatic channels, and support domestic investment by increasing incentives for domestic automotive and EV production to preserve Ontario's competitive edge; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Council endorses and supports the Ontario government's Fortress Am-Can and request that all municipal organizations and mayors across the province also support this initiative; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Council asks the federal and provincial governments to remove any impediments to municipalities preferentially procuring from Canadian companies for capital projects and supplies; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this motion be sent to: • The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada • The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario • The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs • The Honourable Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade • The Honourable Nate Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities • The Honourable Paul Calandra, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing • Josh Morgan, Chair, Big City Mayors' Caucus and Mayor of London • Marianne Mead Ward, Chair, Ontario Big City Mayors and Mayor of Burlington • Robin Jones, President, AMO and Mayor of Westport PO Box 3012, 50 Church St., St. Catharines, ON L2R 7C2 Tel: 905.688.5600 I TTY: 905.688.4889 I www.stcatharines.ca %/ 4 . St. Catharines • Karen Redman, Chair, MARCO and Chair, Regional Municipality of Waterloo • Niagara Region Municipalities • Niagara Region MPPs • Niagara Region MPs If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at extension 1524. M Donna Delvecchio, Acting City Clerk Legal and Clerks Services, Office of the City Clerk :av cc: Premier of Ontario, the Honourable Doug Ford Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Melanie Joly Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, the Honourable Vic Fedeli Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Nate Erskine-Smith Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Honourable Paul Calandra Chair, Big City Mayors' Caucus and Mayor of London, Josh Morgan Chair, Ontario Big City Mayors and Mayor of Burlington, Marianne Mead Ward President, AMO and Mayor of Westport, Robin Jones Chair, MARCO and Chair, Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Karen Redman Niagara Region Municipalities Niagara Region MPPs Niagara Region MPs PO Box 3012, 50 Church St., St. Catharines, ON L2R 7C2 Tel: 905.688.5600 I TTY: 905.688.4889 I www.stcatharines.ca