Toronto mayor meets with business leaders trying to weather the Canada

Toronto mayor meets with business leaders trying to weather the Canada-U.S. trade war

Roundtable discussion part of mayor's 'economic action plan' in response to U.S. tariffs

Mayor Olivia Chow met with dozens of business leaders in Toronto on Friday in the hopes of shaping the city's next moves against U.S. tariffs.

"Coming out of today's meeting, we will have clear steps based on what we hear from you. We will turn that into an improved action plan, one that keeps standing up for Toronto workers and businesses," Chow said downtown.

Some of the business leaders told reporters, before the roundtable discussion organized by the city got underway, that they are surprised at the latest tariffs and need government support. They said the tariffs have created trade uncertainty and made it difficult to plan.

Ben Taylor, CEO and co-founder of Beachman, a Toronto-based manufacturer of electric motorcycles and bikes, said he sat down with the mayor hoping to leave with a better sense of how the company can get through the Canada-U.S. trade war.

Taylor said more than 65 per cent of the company's sales come from the U.S., which he describes as a "key" market. He said vehicles have been subject to tariffs on and off since the start of the trade war, but a ban on Canadian motorcycle imports into the U.S., which takes effect Sept. 29, will be a major challenge.

"When we began this business in 2021, I never would have imagined that we would be cut out of the United States," Taylor said.

"The company has switched to be all hands on deck as we are attempting to get hundreds and hundreds of motorcycles into the United States, into a three-field warehouse, totally changing the structure of our operations to prepare for how long we're going to ride out this storm."

Taylor said the company will also have to switch gears as the trade war continues and attempt to pivot to Europe "to make up for the volatility in the United States."

In a news release Friday, the city said the roundtable was part of the mayor's "economic action plan" designed to help businesses stay competitive, diversify markets and protect jobs amid tariffs. It said the meeting was a chance for the city to identify actions to strengthen Toronto's economy.

'We really do need support,' business leader says

Katherine Down, head of production and technology for Lanxess Canada, a chemical manufacturer with a plant in Scarborough, said the company's products and profits have been affected by the tariffs. The U.S. imports about 42 per cent of its products.

"We're looking to use the city to really impress upon the province and the federal government that manufacturing is alive and well in the city of Toronto and that we really do need support," Down said.

"Basically right now, everything we're doing in the U.S. is at a loss and it's been a very difficult situation for us. We're able to mitigate it with a lot of business in Europe and Asia, but right now we're looking at trying to really pivot our industry here in Canada to support new products."

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Marc Kadonoff, co-CEO of Ilana Robyn Foods Ltd., which operates the vegan commercial bakery Sweets from the Earth with three outlets in Toronto, said constantly changing regulations, coupled with tariffs, are making it difficult to plan.

"Our biggest hope is really to come up with a strategy and an answer, see what type of government support is there," he said.

"My personal hope is really to see what other people are doing with it and how they're handling the uncertainty. Business is tough enough with all the other regulatory issues we have, but when you're in the constantly changing landscape, it really doesn't allow you to make any significant plans into the future."

The roundtable brought together representatives from such sectors as manufacturing, food processing, apparel, construction and technology. The city said the discussion focused on trade-related pressures, supply chain disruptions, market diversification and opportunities for government action.

Chow, who is seeking re-election, did not take any campaign questions, saying she was at the meeting in her role as mayor.