The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce has spoken out about the proposed tariffs that American president and former reality show star Donald Trump sought to place on Canadian products.
The statement was released by the ACOC on Feb. 1, but on Feb. 3 it was announced that the two countries have put a 30-day pause on the tariffs.
The ACOC said that they are actively working alongside a number of business associations at the regional, provincial, and national level to deal with whatever happens next.
"As a border community, Abbotsford businesses know the value of this century-long friendship and trading relationship which has resulted in decades of economic growth and prosperity for Canadians and Americans," said the CEO of the ACOC Alex Mitchell. "On behalf of the 750 businesses we represent, the Abbotsford Chamber is calling for decisive and coordinated action from our government to support Canadian businesses to avoid the crushing impacts of these tariffs. This includes finding collaborative solutions to the main pain points impacting our relationship such as border security and the destructive impacts of fentanyl."
Mitchell said that the possible tariffs come at a time when the B.C. provincial economy has had its fair share of struggles over the past few years. She said that something must be done to protect local businesses across the country.
"We’ve grown our respective economies in part through working together - now is the time to keep trade moving and do whatever it takes to ensure our Canadian businesses can succeed," she added.
The Chamber also announced that they have launched a survey to gather real-life stories and data about how these tariffs will impact Abbotsford businesses.
That survey can be found on the ACOC website or by clicking anywhere in this sentence.