Tariffs, Elections and your National Conference!
It seems we’ve had a reprieve in the implementation of the US tariffs until April 2nd, but the Canadian retaliatory tariffs have remained in place – and will expand in April as well.
As your national advocates in Ottawa, we co-signed a letter from water associations across Canada asking that our sector be exempted from this trade war. We haven’t received a formal response, but they’ve been rather busy in Ottawa – and now we have a federal election underway. What changes will April 28th bring us? No one can predict with the polls moving everyday. Nor can we predict what programs or spending any new government might maintain or introduce. The impacts of the tariff war will not only raise prices for utilities in buying operating supplies but can dramatically affect the costs of infrastructure projects and the availability of provincial/federal funding.
CWWA will be working with our regional and provincial water partners to conduct a national survey of Canadian utilities to get a sense of what it is we are buying from the US, what efforts we’re making to switch to Canadian suppliers, and what challenges we may face in finding alternatives. We will also be asking members to share some best practices they may have introduced around Canadian preference in purchasing and how one accounts for tariffs in bidding. Please be sure to have your utility participate when you get this survey.
We are also hearing that many utilities, and Canadian private firms, are deciding NOT to travel to water events in the US. Now to be careful here…I am in no way promoting a boycott of US events – these are decisions being made within each municipality or corporation. But I do admit to being an opportunist here and suggesting that “maybe this is the year to give your Canadian National Water & Wastewater Conference a try.” You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the quality of the program and the calibre of the delegates…and I’d hate to see you lose that travel budget. J Shameless! I know!