Calgary city council getting U.S. tariff update

Calgary city council will learn more about what's planned to cushion the blow from possible U.S. tariffs. Mason DePatie reports.

City council will get a presentation Tuesday afternoon on how tariffs will impact the city.

The presentation will happen just after the lunch break and be led by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and Calgary Economic Development.

They’ll give an update on how these tariffs will affect the city and also answer questions from councillors.

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It comes a day after President Donald Trump confirmed looming American tariffs will happen as planned.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek recently highlighted how vulnerable Calgary is to tariffs due to our reliance on exports to the U.S.

She said the city is looking at its procurement bylaws and strategies to better support local, Canadian or non-American goods.

That includes work already underway to source steel and other material needed for Calgary’s new event centre and Green Line LRT.

The mayor also said the city could also reduce business permit fees and fast-track the permit approval process to help lessen the tariff burden on businesses.

She noted a working group is being established so that the city can hear directly from businesses and industries about how the municipality can support them in the event of a trade war.

The tariffs are set to take effect next Tuesday.

They include 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports and 10 per cent levies on energy products.

With files from Jordan Kanygin