Regina mayor joins counterparts from across North America in D.C. to call for end of trade war

Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski joined a conference of mayors from across North America on Friday to call for an end to the growing trade war between the United States and its neighbours.

Bachynski was one of seven Canadian mayors invited to the two-day conference in Washington, D.C., jointly hosted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. More than two dozen local officials from Canada, Mexico and the United States attended.

"We urge national leaders to put our communities first, end the trade war, and keep our countries strong with free and fair trade," the coalition said after the conference concluded on Friday. 

"Our families, businesses and workers depend on it."

Bachynski said he communicated the province's tariff challenges during the meeting. 

"Some of my points were highlighting our industries — food, fuel, fertilizer, steel — really leaning into those industries that we know we're a global powerhouse in," he said. "The idea that by imposing tariffs, the U.S. will magically have an industry up here to take over the creation of resources, the creation of jobs, is unrealistic."

On March 26, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new 25 per cent tariff on foreign-made auto parts, throwing the Canadian auto industry into disarray. It is scheduled to begin on April 2. 

The move came after several months of on-again off-again tariffs. On March 12, the U.S. launched a 25 per cent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, which followed the March 4 resumption of a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods that were briefly implemented in February.

Roughly 40 per cent of Canadian goods were then exempted from the tariffs on March 6, when Trump amended the policy to exclude all goods covered by the US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement.

That exemption is set to expire with the launch of the auto tariffs on April 2.

Bachynski said the uncertainty of the tariff environment was another topic of discussion at the conference.

"Whether or not we know what kind of tariffs are in place or not in place on any given day, the uncertainty still drives a lot of impact," he said. "Investment goes on pause, hiring may freeze due to uncertainty."

Bacynski said some American are wary of pushing back against Trump's policies.

"There is a genuine reservation about what speaking out could mean in terms of impacts to funding that they might receive," he said.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who also attended the meeting, said that the Trump administration will hear the message sent by the conference.

"I'll leave it to the prime minister and the new federal government after the election, the premiers of our provinces, to handle the high level negotiations," he said.

Currently the Canadian government has tariffs on $30 billion worth of American goods, and a reciprocal 25 per cent tariff on an additional $29.8 billion worth of goods in response to the steel and aluminum tariffs.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada would launch fresh retaliatory tariffs if new American tariffs go into effect on April 2.