City council unanimously backs restricting U.S. companies from bidding on Toronto contracts

John Rieti · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 3:07 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says the metropolis needs to propulsion up with measures to bolster the section system careless of what Donald Trump does connected April 2, erstwhile the U.S. president has threatened to bring successful caller sectoral tariffs.

Council unanimously backed Chow's 10-point program to respond to the tariff fight on Wednesday, though immoderate councillors said the metropolis needs to beryllium cautious not to alienate imaginable visitors from the U.S., oregon American companies looking to put successful Toronto.

The program restricts the city's procurement from American companies, with immoderate wiggle country if needed. Chow's plan, developed with a squad of manufacture leaders, would besides let concern spot owners to person their taxes deferred should their concern instrumentality a deed owed to an escalating commercialized war. 

Torontonians tin besides expect to spot metropolis hallway pushing a bargain section agenda, and Chow said metropolis unit are being urged to debar utilizing American-based ride-hailing apps oregon ordering things connected Amazon. 

This is each happening earlier Trump levies much tariffs. Would Toronto backmost disconnected if Trump does? Chow said it volition driblet the sanctions when all 3 levels of authorities are convinced the commercialized narration has gone backmost to normal. 

"We volition halt warring backmost if there's stableness and bid connected the land, but it's hard to believe," Chow told reporters, adding it's intolerable to work Trump's mind.

Canada's largest metropolis awarded astir 10 per cent of its contracts to American companies successful the past 2 years, according to a CBC analysis. The anticipation present is to find section suppliers for arsenic overmuch of that enactment arsenic is possible, which could stimulate an system dented by the tariffs. 

However, metropolis unit confirmed astatine this constituent it's unclear however overmuch this determination volition outgo and whether it mightiness hike taxation bills successful the future, a interest Chow played down during remarks earlier successful the day. 

No existent contracts with American companies volition beryllium torn up. 

• You tin find the city's program here, although amendments added by councillors on Wednesday person not yet been added 

Councillors disquieted determination volition crook disconnected American tourists

One large interest connected the assembly level was not alienating Americans who are inactive visiting the metropolis — including during the upcoming FIFA World Cup — oregon considering investing here. 

"Economic nationalism arsenic a effect to economical nationalism creates each kinds of problems," Coun. James Pasternak said connected the assembly floor. 

Pasternak besides flagged the hazard that this could pb to much contracts being sole-sourced, which has historically led to problems for the city. 

Coun. Shelley Carroll predicted this volition beryllium a occupation for years to come, and that these are conscionable the archetypal actions the metropolis volition take. But she shared Pasternak's concerns, warning American companies whitethorn opt retired of holding conferences successful the metropolis if they consciousness visitors volition beryllium accosted.

Coun. Stephen Holyday said he's supporting the question due to the fact that it's "lockstep" with what the different levels of authorities are doing. 

Holyday said Toronto should inactive aspire to bash concern with the U.S., but added "we person to respond to policies that are hurting us."

The lone large struggle of Wednesday's statement came betwixt Chow and Coun. Brad Bradford, who enactment forward a question urging the politician to delete portion of her program that urges metropolis unit to bounds their usage of American-based ride-hailing apps. 

Bradford's question failed, with assembly voting 17-5 against it.