Ottawa City Councillor and Vice President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Tim Tierney spoke at a National League of Cities conference in the US, warning of the serious consequences of the Donald Trump administration’s trade war against Canada.

Tierney told representatives of more than 2,700 US municipalities that the steel and aluminum tariffs would hurt not only the Canadian economy, but also the US itself. He cited the increased cost of raw materials for local breweries and disruptions in the supply of critical components, such as sensors for F-35 fighter jets, which are manufactured in his Beacon Hill-Cyrville neighbourhood in Ottawa.

Tierney said the White House’s unpredictability has already led to lower investor confidence, investment delays and instability in financial markets.

“Many people in the US don’t even realise how this is affecting their economy and the lives of ordinary people,” he said. – For example, American car manufacturers can’t retain their employees because they don’t know if they’ll be profitable tomorrow. All of this is affecting the lives of ordinary Americans right now.”

He also noted the case of Canadian stores that have removed billions of dollars’ worth of American products from sale due to tariffs, including popular beer and food brands. “It seems like a small thing, but Americans don’t realize the scale of the damage that a trade war is doing to both sides,” he said.

Tierney called on local U.S. politicians to recognize that tariff policies are hurting both countries, putting jobs and economic stability at risk. He stressed that despite the political rhetoric from Washington, local governments must continue to cooperate and maintain a pragmatic approach to trade between the two countries.