Dear neighbour—
It has been wonderful to be back in Burlington this summer. I've had the chance to meet with many constituents, visit businesses and connect with community organizations.
Much of my focus has been on understanding how local businesses are impacted by the trade challenges we're experiencing with the United States and advocating for them in Ottawa. Steel, Auto, Autoparts and Manufacturing are a foundational element of our local economy and key targets of the Trump Administration. Since returning from Ottawa, I've had a number of meetings with local businesses and am pleased that on July 16th, Prime Minister Mark Carney made an important announcement regarding support for the Steel Sector in light of the 50% U.S. tariffs.
At the time of writing, President Trump had just signed an executive order increasing tariffs on Canada to 35% across the board. Now, it is important to note this is only for non-CUSMA compliant sectors as well as Steel, Aluminum, Auto and Softwood Lumber that are subject to a separate, though higher, tariff. Close to 90% of Canada's trade remains tariff-free. As the Prime Minister has stated, Canada will not accept a bad deal. Canadian officials continue to negotiate hard in Washington, D.C. to get the best deal for Canadian industry and workers. At the same time, as Canada we also have to ensure we are making the necessary changes to our economy and building new trade partnerships to ensure we continue to have a strong domestic economy that will allow our community to thrive and prosper.
I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable August long weekend and have a good rest of the summer!
With gratitude,
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