New York leaders hope to avoid Canada’s tariff drama under Trump

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (WCAX) – Tariffs could cause problems for trade with Canada under some of President-elect Donald Trump’s plans, sparking discussions that are already underway in northern New York.

“We want to continue to be a good trading partner for our northern neighbors. So yes, there are some concerns about that,” said New York Rep. Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, who is also chair of the New York-Canada Task Force. He hopes the new administration’s discussion of 10 percent tariffs on all imports into the U.S. will not impact local businesses. “Our northern economy depends heavily on what we do with our trading partners in Quebec, Ontario and Canada.”

Trump imposed tariffs on Canada on goods like aluminum and steel during his first term, which Jones said had a negative impact on local businesses.

“We are aware of this and are already monitoring and speaking with representatives to refresh our understanding of the special relationship between the U.S. and Canada,” said Garry Douglas, president of the North Country Chamber of Commerce.

He hopes the controversy can be avoided in drafting the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that replaced NAFTA. “What we’ve advised – and I think we see this as wise from the start on the part of our Canadian friends – is to emphasize that, okay, there are some questionable characters in the world who actually see eye to eye with you are and they are turning to you and let’s do it together,” said Douglas.

State Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, also hopes Canada is not among the countries affected by potential tariffs. “There is a time and a place to use these tools, but I think everyone is aware that we have a good trading relationship with Canada. We want to make sure that it is not collateral damage to other mistakes that we are trying to correct in other places with other partners, such as China,” he said.