City of Toronto convenes Mayor’s roundtable on the impacts of tariffs to support local businesses and protect jobs

Today, the Mayor of Toronto met with local businesses to discuss the impacts of U.S. tariffs and Canadian countermeasures, hear directly about emerging challenges and identify actions to strengthen the city’s economy.

The roundtable brought together representatives from manufacturing, food processing, apparel, construction, technology and other sectors to share perspectives on trade-related pressures, supply chain disruptions, market diversification and opportunities for government action to strengthen economic resilience.

The roundtable is part of the City of Toronto’s ongoing response to trade uncertainty and builds on the City’s efforts to help businesses remain competitive, diversify markets, invest in growth and protect jobs through the Mayor’s Economic Action Plan in Response to U.S. Tariffs.

Key themes from the roundtable
During the discussion, participants shared insights on rising costs, supply chain pressures, investment uncertainty, workforce impacts and barriers to accessing new markets. The City sought feedback on existing supports and priorities for collaboration with federal and provincial governments.

The roundtable focused on three priorities: 

• Accelerate the City’s intergovernmental advocacy based on the challenges experienced by small, medium-sized and large businesses because of tariffs and countermeasures. This includes a definition of “Made in Canada” and a clear commitment from government to buy Canadian. 
• Supporting market diversification and helping Toronto businesses access new export opportunities through the City’s TradeTO initiative with practical solutions to issues affecting businesses ability to export, including logistics, containers and freight.  
• Addressing supply chain challenges through a Team Canada approach that connects businesses with Canadian suppliers and strengthens collaboration among governments, municipalities, business leaders, labour organizations and industry and community partners. 

Feedback gathered through the roundtable will be used to inform future business support initiatives, identify opportunities to enhance TradeTO and support the City’s ongoing advocacy and collaboration with provincial and federal partners on issues affecting Toronto businesses.

The City continues to support businesses through TradeTO, the Love Local campaign, business advisory services, investment and competitiveness programs and its efforts to strengthen domestic and international supply chains. Businesses can also access one-on-one consultations and resources through the City’s tariff support programs.

For more information on Toronto’s response to U.S. tariffs, visit the City’s Responding to United States Economic Policy webpage: www.toronto.ca/tariffs.

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation and climate action, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City's website or follow us on X, Instagram or Facebook.