As the trade talks continue between Ottawa and Washington, the University of Toronto is out with a new tool that breaks down how Canadian municipalities are impacted by the ongoing tariffs.
The tool breaks down the percentage of employees and businesses impacted in specific cities and regions across the country. Researchers said the numbers show small to mid-sized communities tend to be more heavily affected by the ongoing trade war.
“When it comes to aluminum, urban centres in southern Ontario, including Windsor, Guelph, and Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge, all appear near the top of the list,” reads the release.
“The cumulative effect of multiple tariffs is particularly concerning for small and mid-sized cities. For instance, Guelph and Windsor rank among the highest in terms of the proportion of jobs and businesses exposed.”
Larger cities such as Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver had the highest total number of jobs and businesses impacted, but researchers argue that doesn’t show the whole picture.
“The relative impact is much lower in these cities due to their diverse economies. Sectors like finance, tech, and cultural industries help buffer against tariff shocks,” it reports.
In communities that are manufacturing hubs or resource-dependent, the tariffs are said to be significantly more impactful. In the tri-cities, Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge, jobs and businesses fall in the top Canadian cities most impacted by these tariffs, at 13.8 per cent.
When broken down to just the tariffs on aluminum and steel, the tri-cities rank even higher compared to other Canadian cities.
The interactive tool can break down the data to be tariff-specific and zoom in on individual neighbourhoods.
The researchers said the information will be updated as the trade war situation develops.
They noted these numbers show diversity in local economies is especially important, and support in new markets and supply is essential for these smaller municipalities to “adapt and thrive.”