Mayor Andrea Horwath to Lead Hamilton’s Advocacy Against U.S. Tariffs at Great Lakes Day in Washington, D.C.

Hamilton, ON – Mayor Andrea Horwath will be in Washington, D.C. from March 4-7, 2025, to participate in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative’s annual Great Lakes Day. She will be joined by over a dozen Mayors and elected officials from Ontario and Quebec advocating for the economic and environmental health of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. The event provides a crucial and timely platform for Mayors to engage directly with U.S. policymakers on issues impacting cross-border trade and regional prosperity.

As the City of Hamilton faces potentially significant economic consequences from proposed U.S. tariffs, Mayor Horwath will use this opportunity to champion Hamilton’s manufacturing sector and fight for the city’s economic stability.

“Hamilton has a long and diverse manufacturing history…we are a city that makes things! The steel industry is a significant part of our economy,” said Mayor Horwath. “These tariffs would deal a billion-dollar economic blow to our city—thousands of Hamiltonians rely on manufacturing jobs to support their families. Protecting our local businesses, workers and their families, and ensuring Hamilton remains a strong economic force is job #1 right now.”

Since the announcement of the tariff threats, Mayor Horwath has taken decisive action to support Hamilton’s manufacturing sector, including:

• Introducing a Buy Local, Buy Canadian Procurement Policy motion. Staff have already put forward initial recommendations for potential changes to our procurement policy, with more expected in the coming months.
• Engaging directly with major steel and manufacturing executives to assess the impacts of tariffs on local industry.
• Convening the Mayor’s Roundtable on Trade and Tariffs, bringing together 14 of Hamilton’s largest manufacturers, the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority, the Hamilton International Airport, City leadership, local economic development officials, and all three Hamilton-area Chambers of Commerce (Hamilton, Stoney Creek, and Flamborough) to assess impacts and discuss strategies to protect local jobs and industries.
• Working with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Big City Mayors Caucus (OBCM)’s newly struck tariff sub-committee to ensure Hamilton’s concerns are at the forefront of all organizing and advocacy efforts.

Mayor Horwath’s trip to Washington, D.C. is a critical next step in this advocacy effort. During her visit, she will meet with members of U.S. Congress, ambassadors, and representatives from key U.S. trade organizations and government agencies. Her message will be clear: tariffs will be damaging not only to Hamilton but also to U.S. cities, U.S.-Canada trade relations, supply chains, and overall North American economic stability.

“While we focus on what we can do, as a municipality, to face this challenge - advocating for Hamiltonians remains a top priority,” added Mayor Horwath. “I’m bringing the voices of Hamilton’s businesses and workers directly to U.S. policymakers. This is about fighting for our city, our economy, and our future.”

Key Facts:

• On February 2nd, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports, which was later paused until March 4th, 2025.
• Subsequently, on February 11th, 2025, President Trump announced an additional 25% tariff on steel and aluminum, scheduled for implementation on March 12, 2025.
• The U.S has promised additional counter-tariffs matching any retaliatory-tariffs imposed by Canada.
• Hamilton is ranked as the 8th most vulnerable Canadian city to the proposed U.S. tariffs, according to a recent study by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
• Hamilton’s manufacturing sector is a key driver of the local economy, with approximately 27,966 jobs within the city’s municipal borders.
• Employment in Iron and Steel Mills and Ferro Alloy manufacturing is 21 times more concentrated in Hamilton compared to the national benchmark.
• In 2023, Hamilton’s manufacturing exports totaled $9.908 billion, while imports were $8.511 billion.
• On February 17th, the City of Hamilton Economic Development team, in concert with local Chambers of Commerce, distributed a Tariff Impact Questionnaire to businesses across the city and have received approximately 200 responses.
• The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI) is a coalition of over 200 U.S. and Canadian mayors advocating for the environmental and economic health of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. Great Lakes Day is an annual advocacy event in Washington, D.C., where mayors engage with U.S. policymakers on critical cross-border issues.
• The GLSLCI Board has put forward a resolution opposing the proposed 25% U.S. Tariffs on Canadian goods, calling for a unified regional action to protect businesses and jobs, urging state, provincial, and federal governments to implement relief measures, and advocating for a Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Unity Summit to safeguard economic stability.
• Approximately 50% of Canada-U.S. trade moves through the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Region, accounting for nearly 200 million tons of cargo each year.
• With an $8 trillion economy, this region would rank as the third-largest economy in the world if it were a country.
• Canada is the number one export market and one of the number one import markets for all eight Great Lakes states.