tariffs

Côte-de-Gaspé launches buy-local campaign 

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – A buy-local campaign is being launched in the Côte-de-Gaspé MRC to encourage residents to support local businesses. 

The Côte-de-Gaspé MRC and the Caisse Desjardins de la Pointe de la Gaspésie are investing $100,000 in the campaign, with technical support from the SADC de Gaspé and the Côte-de-Gaspé Chamber of Commerce. 

“Through a Web platform, people will be able to buy prepaid cards and benefit from discounts at merchants. If you buy a $25 card online from merchant ‘X’, the MRC and Desjardins will boost your card by 50%. We’re encouraging local purchases with funds from the MRC and Desjardins,” explains Côte-de-Gaspé prefect, Daniel Côté.. 

The goal is to steer consumers away from large online retailers like Amazon and Temu, where prices are often lower. 

“If the argument is just money, people won’t have that savings argument any more. People will have the same prices as on the big platforms, but they’ll be buying locally.” says Mr. Côté. 

Approximately 50 merchants across the MRC are taking part in the buy local campaign which will run for the next three years. 

An annual bonus cap of $25,000 has been established, and safeguards are in place to prevent individuals from making bulk purchases and reselling the cards on the black market. 

“At the end of the day, we figure that with around a hundred thousand invested over three years, we should at least double or even double and a half the returns on our investments. It’s a bold gamble, because we’ve never done it before, and we think it’ll be a winner, and the merchants will get visibility,” says Mr Côté. 

Similar campaigns have been launched in other regions with mixed results. 

“If we don’t try it, we’ll never know. One of the strongest elements in the Gaspésie is that we’re a proud people. We know our merchants, but maybe we’ve never taken the time to walk through the door. I’m appealing to the pride of our people and calling on local merchants. The excuse that I won’t go because it’s cheaper online no longer exists with this campaign,” says the prefect in a burst of patriotism. 

The prepaid card will be available on the MRC’s website starting on May 15. A video will accompany the launch to explain the campaign and guide users through the process. 

Residents will be able to purchase a card, choose a participating merchant, and once the transaction is confirmed, the card will be credited. “It’s like giving a credit card to a retailer. If you buy a $50 card, it becomes $75. That’s $25 free,” explained Mr. Côte. 

If the campaign goes well, organizers believe it could generate up to $250,000 in economic benefits. 

“I think it will have a snowball effect. At the end of the day, we want it to benefit our residents and businesses,” says Mr Côté. 

Côte-de-Gaspé launches buy-local campaign  Read More »

CCIBDC asks federal politicians to work for the economy 

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Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

BONAVENTURE – The Baie-des-Chaleurs Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIBDC) expects the Member of Parliaments elected on April 28 in a minority government in Ottawa to work constructively together to advance priority issues for the Canadian economy. 

The threat of additional tariffs from the United States still looms over Canada. 

“First and foremost, with a minority government, it’s about working together with a common goal to counter these tariffs and work towards economic development,” said CCIBDC Director Valentine Palma in a joint release with the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec. 

“As a first step, it would be important to have trade diplomacy with a chief negotiator to work hand in hand with our American neighbours. That would already be very important. Within Canada, we need to break down barriers and promote trade between provinces, and finally we need to promote a Canadian procurement policy and encourage local content in publicontracts,” adds Ms. Palma. 

The previous government had begun to implement such measures, but she stresses that more needs to be done. 

“We understand that Canada and Quebec are going to lose contracts with the United States, and there are certainly ways of replacing them within our own country,” she comments. 

The federal government created an economic trio with François-Philippe Champagne, Dominic Leblanc and Mélanie Joly when President Trump imposed his first rounds of tariffs. 

The director hopes that this trio will remain intact. “The decision rests with Mr Carney, but it’s true that having people who are already aware of the whole climate and who have had initial meetings with the Trump administration should help a great deal,” she noted. 

Business leaders are struggling with the lack of predictability from the US government, particularly with a president who frequently shifts positions on tariffs. 

“Having a chief negotiator for Canada with a Canadian negotiating team coordinating with this administration might help us know where we stand. To have a guarantee on future tariffs or how we could come to an agreement. It would be important to have a fairly solid team,” she concluded. 

CCIBDC asks federal politicians to work for the economy  Read More »

MRCs offer support and services amid trade war

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Area MRCs are on high alert.

The tariffs imposed by the United States as part of a trade war with Canada are impacting the regional economy. The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent, the MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry, and the MRC des Jardins-de-Napierville have all announced concrete actions to support local businesses while minimizing the impact on the economic vitality of the region.

“The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent is actively supporting local entrepreneurs,” says prefect Louise Lebrun, who is also the mayor of Sainte-Barbe, noting the MRC is concerned about the consequences of the tariffs and their impact on property owners and workers as well.

The MRC anticipates presenting an economic diversification plan for the Haut-Saint-Laurent region in the coming weeks. Lebrun says the plan will make it possible to identify sectors with optimal potential to revitalize the economy.

The document will also be used by the MRC’s economic development advisors to identify promising diversification activities and niches that could help certain businesses to better cope with the impacts of the tariffs.

“The MRC is the gateway to business services for all entrepreneurs in the Haut-Saint-Laurent,” says the MRC’s director general, Pierre Caza. “We have experts ready to advise businesses in the Haut-Saint-Laurent region. Whether they need representation before political authorities, help creating or strengthening ties with Investissement Québec or other national, regional, or local resources, or information on support programs available at the MRC, we can help them get through this challenging period,” he explains.

A regional monitoring committee

The MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry has formed a strategic monitoring committee in response to the trade war. The initiative aims to support local businesses affected by American tariffs and Canadian counter-tariffs, while serving as a lever to strengthen the region’s economic resilience.

The committee, which currently includes at least 14 members, allows for a rapid response to present-day challenges as well as the ability to better anticipate future economic issues. “The committee is a catalyst. It was born out of an urgent need, but its relevance goes far beyond tariffs,” says Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague mayor Yves Daoust, who chairs the MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry’s economic advisory committee.

The recently created monitoring committee met for the first time on April 3. The members will work together to analyze the impacts of tariffs on local businesses, direct entrepreneurs to appropriate assistance programs, encourage regional cooperation to catalyze innovation, and establish a replicable intervention model for addressing other economic issues.

The committee includes representatives from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Beauharnois, the MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry, Commerce International Québec Montérégie-Ouest (CIQMO), the SADC Suroît-Sud, Services Québec, the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie Beauharnois-Valleyfield-Haut-Saint-Laurent, CÉGEP de Valleyfield, and the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie. Representatives for both Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette and Beauharnois MNA Claude Reid are also part of this committee, as well as outgoing MP for Salaberry-Suroît, Claude DeBellefeuille.

By summer, the committee plans to develop a regional portrait of the economic impact caused by the tariffs. The members also aim to implement a monitoring and resource sharing system, and to develop regional recommendations to be forwarded to the different levels of government.

A source for support and solutions

Entrepreneurs in the Jardins-de-Napierville region can also turn to their MRC’s economic development team for help.

The MRC is also coordinating a strategic committee to support the regional economy with initiatives tailored to the volatile economic situation. Members include political and economic stakeholders from the region who have come together to help businesses face current and future challenges.

“In the current context, it is essential that businesses in our region feel supported and accompanied in their efforts,” says prefect Yves Boyer. “We are determined to facilitate access to available resources and programs in order to stimulate growth, innovation, and market diversification for businesses in the Jardins-de-Napierville. Together, we can build a strong, resilient and forward-looking regional economy.”

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Local business community remains optimistic despite tariffs

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Local businesses are adapting to the uncertainty brought on by the Trump administration in the United States.

The ripple effect of tariffs and talk of escalating trade wars has reached the Valley, resulting in shrinking profit margins, difficult decisions, and a great deal of concern for the local business community.

Jonathan Turenne, the owner of the IGA supermarkets in Ormstown and Huntingdon, says that while businesses like his are trying to adapt, it feels more like improvisation. “When you live with uncertainty, you can’t plan for the long term, so you can’t plan for stability,” he explains. “We are trying to make long-term projections to give ourselves a guideline, but then we adjust them every week, or almost every day.”

Turenne says he is also noticing the impacts of uncertainty on the public. “We’re starting to see it here and across Quebec as a whole, with companies closing or reducing their production volumes. Jobs are being lost. We’re pretty close to the U.S. border here. It’s a strategic location for people who export and import. We’re definitely going to feel it,” he says, noting that customers are holding back on spending.

However, they are spending more on local, Canadian, and Quebec-made products. Turenne says that while positive, the trend is having an impact on product availability and the bottom line. “Local products are in higher demand everywhere, so they are harder to get,” he explains, adding that this affects the price.

“Often, we run promotions at a loss to attract customers, and to sell other products,” says Turenne. Once a price has been advertised it can’t be changed, even if demand has driven up the cost. “Automatically, I am selling at a loss,” he explains, suggesting the fact customers want products on a year-round basis complicates things further.

The purchasing catalog follows global production to ensure, for example, that there are always grapes or strawberries on the shelves. Production forecasts are made a year in advance, with a bit of leeway on the supply side to account for the impact of weather. “But three months out, your purchases are fixed. It is complicated to manage, and the impact we are seeing today is based on decisions we made practically before Trump was elected,” says Turenne. “We are kind of stuck with it,” he shrugs.

Farm supply businesses also impacted

Michel Laplante, the owner of Les Équipements Laplante et Lévesque Ltée (L&L) in Ormstown, says he has also had to adapt to these uncertain times. Around ten per cent of his products come from the United States, and he decided to invest in many of these before the tariffs were imposed on April 2. Now, he says, it is Canadian counter-tariffs that might impact his farm equipment business as well.

“We brought in a lot of equipment that we don’t need right away, but that we will need in the summer,” Laplante explains, noting they are checking the codes on incoming stock to see if pricing has increased and if it includes tariffs. Steel has become more expensive, for example, and suppliers have had no choice but to adapt their pricing. “We have to deal with it and adjust. But my customers who have signed contracts don’t want to pay 25 per cent more,” he admits.

He says that like Turenne, he is sensing that customers are wary of spending too much right now. “We see it with my dairy customers. Supply management is a big issue, and the U.S. doesn’t like supply management,” he says, noting dairy farmers are also having to adopt new animal welfare regulations. “They have to invest to adapt. Some are going to give up altogether. Others will invest and then expand. But right now, they have expenses to cover. In the back of their minds, they are wondering if their quota will stay the same,” he explains.

The value of community

Turenne bought the two IGA supermarkets a year ago. One of the first things he did was join the Association des Gens d’Affaires d’Ormstown et des Environs (AGAO+). “It is important to be present on the local scene,” he says. Laplante says that while the association isn’t essential for his business, he joined to support and encourage entrepreneurs who are just starting out in the community.

Both agree it is important to remain optimistic. “When we end up in situations like this, everyone quickly positions themselves to do what is necessary to make things work,” says Turenne. “We will find solutions. People will find ways to help each other wherever they can,” he adds. “We have always been good at that here.”

Turenne says that customers also have confidence in local products. “When you say that a product is made in Canada or Quebec, people don’t even think twice. They know it’s going to be a good quality product,” he explains. “We don’t have to fight to justify the value of what we do. That’s why there is no reason to be worried right now.”

As for the uncertainty on the horizon, Turenne says businesses have to hope it’s nothing more than a dark cloud that will pass over quickly.

Local business community remains optimistic despite tariffs Read More »

Cross-border trade uncertainty rattles Beauce entrepreneurs

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Cross-border trade uncertainty rattles Beauce entrepreneurs

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Businesses in the entrepreneurial Beauce region, southeast of Lévis, near Quebec’s border with Maine, have been on edge ever since U.S. President Donald Trump first announced plans to place tariffs on Canadian exports, in early February.

Marie-Christine Lavoie is the director general of the Chambre de commerce et industrie de la Nouvelle-Beauce (CCINB), based in Sainte- Marie de Beauce. The tariff uncertainty and the breakdown of what had been the cross-border status quo “has a huge impact on our companies,” she told the QCT shortly before the latest round of tariffs announced by Trump came into force.

“In Beauce, we’re very close to the border, so for a lot of our companies, geographically speaking, it’s easier for them to work with U.S. clients,” she said. “Boston or Maine is practically the same distance as Montreal. That’s how the market developed.”

The frictionless cross-border trade that made the development of that market possible essentially disappeared on Feb. 1, when Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports except for energy imports, which would be subject to a 10 per cent tariff. Those tariffs were delayed until March 4, then suspended on CUSMA-compliant imports and auto parts. A 250 per cent tariff on lumber and dairy imports was announced in March but not implemented as of this writing, according to the Toronto Star.

On March 12, the Trump administration imposed a 25 per cent tariff on steel and aluminum imports; on April 3, the day after Trump announced blanket tariffs of 10 to 49 per cent on imports from countries around the world, Canadian- made auto parts were added to the list. Prime Minister Mark Carney has since announced 25 per cent counter-tariffs on U.S.-made auto parts and steel and aluminum products.

The uncertainty over tariff policy “has a huge impact” on the companies which are some of the Beauce region’s largest employers, Lavoie said. “We have businesses that export 70 to 90 per cent of their production to the U.S., and we also have members who import, which is another issue.

“If there’s another 25 per cent tariff starting in April, it will hurt our members, and we’re afraid of closures,” Lavoie said. “We’re hoping for an agreement.”

In the interim, some of the CCINB’s more than 1,700 members have made adaptations, and others have made agreements with U.S.-based clients to be shielded from the full impact of the tariffs. Others have been exploring new markets internationally or in other parts of Canada. A few, which rely on shipping heavy steel products into the United States, “might have to rethink their business model.”

In light of the upcoming election, Lavoie said, “We would like the next ministers to be really listening to our businesspeople, so that the decision made in the office reflects the decision on the ground. Things like counter-tariffs can impact certain businesses which [make] their supplies a lot more expensive.” She called on the next govern- ment to remove barriers to in- terprovincial trade, which both Carney, as Liberal leader, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre have pledged to do. “There are some products that were easier to send to the United States than to Alberta – we should bring those [barriers] down for a strong, united, entrepreneurial Canada.”

She also called on the next government to take the needs of the region (which is chronically low on labour and relies heavily on economic immigration programs) into account when reforming the temporary foreign worker program, and to be more responsive to business owners who have questions about government programs. “We have three per cent unemployment. Our companies are always looking for staff and there are people who need to let their foreign workers go because they can’t renew their work permits. For a region like ours, the loss of these employees hurts more than the tariffs. They could allow a grandfather clause or make it dependent on employment rates instead of imposing a pan-Canadian measure. The realities [from one part of the country to the other] are totally different.”

Cross-border trade uncertainty rattles Beauce entrepreneurs Read More »

Tariff whiplash bad for business, CCIQ head says

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Tariff whiplash bad for business, CCIQ head says

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Quebec City-area businesspeople are “tired of getting yanked back and forth” after months of uncertainty over tariffs on imports to the United States, Frédérik Boisvert, president-director general of the Chambre de commerce et industrie de Québec (CCIQ; Quebec City chamber of commerce and industry) told the QCT late last week, shortly after the Trump administration suspended plans to put tariffs on Canadian goods for a second time.

On Feb. 1, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian products entering the U.S., except for energy imports, which would be subject to a 10 per cent tariff. On Feb. 3, the day before tariffs were to take effect, the imposition of the tariffs was suspended for 30 days, leading Canada to pause its own planned retaliatory tariffs. On March 3, the Trump administration confirmed its intention to impose tariffs; three days later, Trump announced another pause until April 2. As of this writing, separate 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports were expected to go into effect March 12. Outgoing federal finance minister Dominic LeBlanc has said Canada plans to introduce retaliatory tariffs on April 2.

On March 4, Premier François Legault and Economy Minister Christine Fréchette announced two emergency loan programs for affected and potentially affected businesses planning to scale up productivity or diversify markets, and a 25 per cent penalty measure for U.S. businesses applying for Quebec government contracts. A spokesperson for Fréchette told the QCT the measures would remain in effect for the time being.

Boisvert said there were many local businesses that exported to the United States, both in the industrial parks and in the city proper. “Seventy per cent of our manufacturing exports go to the United States. There’s been an impact on the number of orders received, which is also impacting jobs. I have met with some members who had expansions planned, which they can’t go ahead with because there’s too much uncertainty; others wanted to scale up capacity and now that is cancelled.” He said hundreds of jobs were at stake in the region; Legault has said provincewide job losses could surpass 160,000 if the tariffs are fully implemented.

Boisvert said he hoped to see a “muscular” response from the Quebec and Canadian governments if the trade war drags on. “We are reliable and faithful partners being dragged through the mud … because of the will of one person and a few people around him.”

Boisvert said the CCIQ is trying to keep its members informed, and accompanying companies that are trying to diversify their markets and reduce their reliance on the

United States. “Europe is the biggest market in the world, there are incredible things going on in Asia … and in the francophone African market, Quebec is well-regarded there and there’s a lot of demographic growth.

“I believe we will find a solution [to the trade dispute], but there will be a pretty much complete loss of trust in the U.S. administration,” Boisvert concluded. “We need reliable partners and we’re getting the opposite.”

Tariff whiplash bad for business, CCIQ head says Read More »

American tariffs: Lebouthillier meets with prefects 

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The region’s prefects met with the Member of Parliament for the Gaspé Peninsula and Magdalen Islands, Diane Lebouthillier, to discuss their concerns about how the economic situation in the region will be affected by the United States President, Donald Trump’s fixation on tariffs. 

During a meeting in Gaspé on February 6, the prefect of the Côte-de-Gaspé MRC, Daniel Côté, summarized the main request made to the federal government. 

“That we have help with the liquidity of certain companies confined to the American market. Companies with deep pockets are fine. But companies that are a bit like start-ups, have more difficulty restructuring towards other markets. By the time they get through a potential crisis with the American government, they may need help. I am currently visiting our businesses and that is what is coming out a lot,” says Mr. Côté, who is also the mayor of Gaspé. 

“I had requested this meeting to work and inform them about what is happening with Team Canada and tell them that they are an integral part of Team Canada. As Minister of Fisheries, I also wanted to tell them about the meetings I had in the community,” says Ms. Lebouthillier. 

“We know that the municipal government is closest to the citizens. The next few years will be difficult. In the fisheries sector, the next season is coming up and it is important to work together and be on the lookout for impacts on the population. The information must circulate from top to bottom, but also from bottom to top. It is a collaborative effort,” she says. 

The Côte-de-Gaspé prefect also mentions the fisheries sector, which was discussed during the meeting. He mentioned the issue of exploratory lobster fishing and its distribution. “We will wait for the results and I have concerns for the shrimp and turbot fishermen. I dare to hope that there will be special attention put on them. There are not enough permits for everyone, but if a few could have permits, we would like that,” says Mr. Côté. 

“Receptivity is good in Ottawa and Quebec. I think everyone wants to start diversifying their markets,” added the prefect. 

Opening up trade in the Canadian market must be democratized. 

“I have been hearing about market diversification for about twenty years. It seems that every time things return to normal, we return to our old habits. We have international agreements and we must ensure that our products can be sold everywhere in Canada,” says Ms. Lebouthillier. 

For many companies, it is easier to do business in the United States than in other Canadian provinces. 

Ms. Lebouthillier is confident that “If the team remains strong, we can get through this.” 

American tariffs: Lebouthillier meets with prefects  Read More »

The 25% tariffs mentioned by Trump scare Gaspesian exporters 

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

States President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to impose customs tariffs on Canadian products in January raises concerns for GÎMXPORT. 

Trump announced his intention to sign an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada immediately after taking office. 

“When we initially talked about the 10% that was imposed, we are trying to be more competitive, to innovate, to increase our production capacity to reduce costs and we can also rely on the exchange rate that can compensate but going from 10% to 25% can really have an impact, considering that 80% of seafood products are sent to the United States,” explains the director, Gino Cyr, who believes that it is now important to look at market diversification. 

GÎMXPORT participates in various trade fairs to try to create contacts. 

For example, during the pandemic, crab processing companies reoriented their exports. “Our companies had set aside certain niche markets like Japan to sell the crab caught as quickly as possible because we were afraid with the (right) whales and the health measures of not transforming the supply. Today, knowing that with the 25% tariffs, consumers will decide to shift their purchases to other products; If we ensure that we are not able to get the products to the United States, we will have to make diversification efforts,” mentions Mr. Cyr. Markets were developed during crises, but once they were over, it was a sort of “return to normal”. 

“What is important is to maintain our international relations and the markets in place so that our eggs are not all in one basket,” he recalls. 

The 2008 crisis led the organization to look for new markets for lobster in Europe and Asia. 

“The goal was to take the supply and distribute it to other markets. This helped increase the price by focusing on the characterization of the product. The process lasted three years. Following that, there was no renewal. In 2016, the government chose to no longer support this type of initiative, unlike the Maritime provinces, which are continuing their efforts,” illustrates Mr. Cyr. 

“What I find deplorable today: if we want to develop new markets, we’ll start practically from scratch,” he laments. 

The manager had the opportunity to speak with economic experts in recent days to try to understand the potential impacts of these customs duties. 

“What is suggested is to diversify markets and invest in modernizing equipment to increase the level of production,” summarizes Mr. Cyr. 

“25% overnight. It’s the (American) consumer who will end up paying,” says the director. 

The 25% tariffs mentioned by Trump scare Gaspesian exporters  Read More »

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