• 2.26.25
• General

CHAMBER WELCOMES TARIFFS POSTPONEMENT BUT IMPACTS CONTINUE

The North Country Chamber of Commerce is welcoming the further postponement of a 25% tariff on Canadian goods from March 4 to April 2.

"Given the clear economic hits on the North Country that such a tariff would cause, impacting everything from manufacturing and distribution to energy, construction, agriculture and tourism, we of course welcome a further delay," says Garry Douglas, Chamber President. "But hopefully a negotiated settlement can be reached by this next deadline that will lift the threat going forward. The continued prospect of such a sweeping tariff on a neighboring economy with which we are so extensively intertwined is already causing costly impacts from stockpiling to reluctance to lock in prices on contracts to higher bids on construction to hedging against potential tariffs to weakening the Canadian dollar."

The Chamber has noted the extensive ways such a tariff on Canada would directly affect the North Country including higher costs for components and raw materials needed by the region's manufacturers; the area's energy links including its natural gas and oil as well as Quebec hydro-power coming into the New York grid; the fact that 100% of northern New York's asphalt and cement as well as many other construction materials come from Quebec; and  the use of sileage from Manitoba for area dairy farms, among other regional cost impacts.

Douglas noted that the extra time will also "take us past March 9 when the Liberals will select a new leader and Canadian Prime Minister, giving us a stronger government to the north which is welcome, and allows more time in Washington for discussions and the consideration of substantial U.S. impacts."

Douglas notes that the next looming date is now March 12 when 25% tariffs are due to take effect on steel and aluminum, "directly impacting bi-national supply chains and components and boosting construction costs here and across the U.S. A majority of our aluminum comes from Quebec with no U.S. capacity to substitute. So hopefully some rethinking is happening on this front as well."