Canadian and U.S. flags fly atop the Peace Arch monument at the Douglas-Peace Arch border crossing in Surrey, B.C., on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
Manitoba’s business community is calling for a unified Team Canada approach following the breakdown of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations late Friday.
In a joint statement, the Business Council of Manitoba, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce commended Prime Minister Mark Carney and voiced support for the federal government’s decision to step away from the table.
“Choosing no deal over a weak deal required resolve and was better than accepting terms that would not have served Canada’s long-term economic interests,” the groups said, adding the country’s priority now must be to remain united and minimize the economic impacts that follow.
The organizations said new 50 percent tariffs on a range of Canadian goods, along with the uncertainty surrounding them, are already affecting businesses across the country by disrupting supply chains, lowering production demand, slowing investment and putting jobs at risk.
“But the answer is a unified front, not a fractured one,” the groups said, noting Canada will be strongest when government, community and business leaders present a coordinated voice focused on the country’s long-term economic interests.
For Manitoba businesses, the organizations said what matters now is a response that strengthens Canada as one economy, including moving quickly to remove remaining barriers to trade within the country.
The three groups were set to represent Manitoba businesses Monday in a meeting of Manitoba’s U.S. Trade Council, and said they will continue advocating at every level of government as Canada navigates the ongoing trade conflict.
