International trade

Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Saint-Anicet mayor Gino Moretti joined over 30 other mayors from both Canada and the United States in Washington D.C. earlier this month as part of a Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative delegation participating in Great Lakes Day.

The delegation, which also included the mayors of Montreal, Laval, and Quebec City, and several more from Ontario, participated in over 20 meetings with congressional leaders, senior United States administration officials, and business representatives.

The mayors worked to promote the protection of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River watershed, while advocating for a strong Canada-U.S. trade relationship. Members also reiterated the Cities Initiative’s opposition to tariffs imposed on Canadian goods entering the United States.

The organization recently passed a resolution opposing blanket tariffs on Canadian imports while calling on the two federal governments to “institute relief measures for affected municipalities, recognizing the need to protect workers, businesses, and local economies from the consequences of a trade war.”

Moretti is the co-chair of the Cities Initiative, which brings together more than 270 member municipalities, cities, and Indigenous leaders that make up the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region. The delegation arrived in Washington D.C. on March 5 for an afternoon of congressional meetings followed by a reception at the Canadian Embassy, which was attended by Kirsten Hillman, the Canadian ambassador to the United States.

The following day included a congressional breakfast followed by more meetings, receptions, and roundtables. The trip concluded on March 7 with a breakfast at the Residence of the Ambassador to France, and a press conference where delegates repeated the importance of bilateral trade partnerships between the two countries.

Moretti describes the relationship with the United States as strong and multifaceted, but not without challenges. “Trade issues, energy policies, and environmental issues require constant attention and ongoing cooperation,” he said. “However, the resilience of this bilateral relationship rests on a solid foundation of mutual respect, shared interests, and open dialogue.”

This was not the first trip to the American capital for Moretti this year. He was in Washington as a guest speaker at the United States Conference of Mayors, just days before Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Moretti believes very strongly in the significance of mayors. “We are on the ground, and we know what is needed,” he expressed, while noting it is important that mayors take on an active role in representing their region.

Moretti says mayors of larger cities have sometimes admired how active he is on both sides of the border. “I say we have to be, if we want to make sure we prosper. We can’t wait until we are confronted by an obstacle. Then we don’t know what to do.”