Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens is back from Washington, D.C. after attending a trilateral trade summit hosted by the United States Conference of Mayors.
The meeting was held to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, including a new 25 per cent tax on imported automobiles which will be collected starting April 3.
Trump has also threatened to impose sweeping reciprocal tariffs on April 2, calling Wednesday “Liberation Day” for American trade, in addition to tariffs on some Canadian and Mexican goods covered by the USMCA free trade agreement that were previously delayed.
Dilkens represented the Canadian contingent as Chair of the Border Mayors Alliance.
He told AM800 News he was delivering a message that Canada and the United States built the auto industry together.
“The more folks I can get in the United States singing from that song sheet, people who understand the dynamics of the auto industry, and the parts sector, the better it will be for us,” he said. “That’s from my perspective, why I went and why I was there was really to underscore the importance of the auto industry to my country, to my city, to my province, but also how it’s embedded and how it is important to the U.S. economy as well.”
Dilkens said he spoke with Republican Mayor Bryan Barnett of Rochester Hills, Michigan who said while he proudly voted for Trump, he did not vote for the uncertainty Trump’s actions have caused.
“He was there speaking up on behalf of Canada on the supply chains that we built, because he understands that a tariff will negatively impact his community and the people who live there, and the last thing he wants to see is the last thing I want to see which is people being laid off as a result of a dumb decision to apply tariffs to our country,” Dilkens said.
He added, his Canadian, U.S. and Mexican counterparts are all aligned in wanting to find a solution.
“We all want to get to the table and figure this out, like, just tell us what the problem is, like, I’ve always said, where are the goalposts? Tell us where the goalposts are, we can figure out how to get the ball between the goalposts, but at this point we don’t even know where the venue is,” Dilkens said. “We’re not sure where we’re going, you know, to kick the ball. That is part of the uncertainty that’s created so many problems for families across our community, but across our country as well.”
According to Dilkens, U.S. mayors fully understand that a tariffs to Canada is a tax to U.S. consumers.
—Dustin Coffman/AM800 News, Patty Handysides/AM800 News
