The City of Abbotsford has been invited to join the Border Mayors Alliance group and told The News they are considering participation in the alliance.
Aletta Vanderheyden, the city's communications and public relations manager, stated that Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens has spoken to Surrey's Mayor Brenda Locke about the group.
Locke announced earlier this week that Surrey is part of the alliance.
The group, which was launched by Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, aims to protect local economies and advocate for the interests of communities along the Canada-U.S. border. The decision to create the alliance was made shortly after United States President Donald Trump’s proposed 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian imports.
I'm proud to announce that the City of Surrey has joined forces with several major Canadian cities to form the Border Mayors Alliance to confront the imminent threat of a proposed 25% U.S. tariff on Canadian goods.
— Office of the Mayor (@SurreyMayor) January 30, 2025
Thank you to Windsor Mayor @drewdilkens for making a special… pic.twitter.com/2G1PvxBs0V
Abbotsford has one land border crossing (Sumas) and there is also a land border crossing in nearby Aldergrove (Lynden).
Trump had initially stated that tariffs were going into effect on Feb. 1, but he said on Jan. 31 that tariffs will now go into effect on March 1.
“The Canada-U.S. relationship is one of the largest trade relationships in the world, with integrated supply chains, and supporting millions of jobs on both sides of the border,” stated Mayor Dilkens. "Through the Border Mayors Alliance, we will represent cities like Windsor and Surrey, and communities from coast to coast to protect our economic and development interests. We have already begun identifying alternative supply chains to mitigate immediate disruptions and we are working together to develop contingency strategies that put Canada first.”
For more information, visit surrey.ca/news-events/news/surrey-mayor-joins-border-mayors-alliance-address-potential-us-tariffs.