Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Jamie Schmale said he was “shocked and angered” by U.S. president Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian imports last week, though is hopeful for a compromise after the measures were paused for 30 days Feb. 3.
“Nobody wins a trade war,” Schmale told The Highlander, when asked for his opinion on the Trump-sanctioned tariffs and retaliatory measures announced by Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau Feb.1.
The recently inaugurated U.S. president said the tariffs are a tool for growing the American economy, protecting jobs and raising tax revenue. He had called on the Canadian and Mexican governments to bolster border security to prevent what he calls an outpouring of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs, such as fentanyl, from crossing into the U.S.
On Monday, Trudeau said Canada will invest $1.8 billion to send 10,000 frontline workers and additional resources to key crossings. Trump subsequently paused tariffs until March 5.
Schmale said investing to enhance border security is something he’s been preaching for years, calling for the use of x-ray technology to scan cargo containers and greater interjurisdictional cooperation between law enforcement agencies.
“When you talk about the numbers of illegal firearms, drugs, the human trafficking, stolen vehicles that are going back and forth between [Canada and the U.S.], it’s clear to see the border is absolutely insecure,” Schmale said.
With a significant increase in the number of opioid-related deaths in recent years – estimated at 49,105 between January 2016 and June 2024 by the Public Health Agency of Canada – and the flow of, Schmale says, up to 500,000 illegal immigrants into the country, the MP believes Canada should be investing in its borders for its own benefit.
“Although it’s the Americans demanding this, it is also the right thing to do for our country.”
Schmale said the tariffs would, “impact every sector, causing massive issues on a wide scale that we haven’t seen in recent memory.”
He’s calling on Trudeau to resume parliament early to deal with the threat. After the prime minister resigned last month – effective March 9 following the election of a new Liberal Party leader – it was announced the government would be prorogued until March 24.
“Had our parliament been sitting, had the government been focused on Canadians rather than its leadership race, we could have got ahead of this a lot faster than we did,” Schmale said. “This is serious. This is people’s livelihoods at stake. We need parliament to come back, and if the prime minister refuses to do that then he should call an election.”
A federal vote is due to take place by Oct. 20 this year.
While the U.S. has traditionally been “a friend to Canada” with largely intertwined economies, Schmale feels now is the time to explore partnerships with other countries. He said Canada currently has around 50 free trade agreements with nations in Europe, Asia, and South America.
The MP also wants to encourage greater trade between all provinces and territories, while implementing measures to establish Canada as a manufacturing hub.
“We noticed it during the pandemic – we’re too reliant on other countries. When the hard times hit, we do have shortages, and we do have problems. We need to make it so that we’re not so much a consumption economy, but a manufacturing and production economy that can take care of itself first, and also help to supply the rest of the world,” Schmale said.
County response
Amanda Conn, executive director of the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce, said there’s been lots of angst over the past week.
“In Haliburton County we definitely have organizations that import and export. We are hearing concerns and uncertainty on how tariffs and retaliatory tariffs would impact the economy,” Conn said. “The message we’re sharing now is that it’s more important than ever to shop local.”
She said the chamber is working with businesses on ways they can prepare for tariffs, though she’s hopeful, given the suspension, they won’t see the light of day.
Chamber president Joe Cox, controller at Francis Thomas Contracting, feels it’s premature to speculate on how tariffs would impact County businesses, especially those in the construction industry that rely on American imports for materials.
“I’d say we’re very much at a wait and see stage for right now. See where the cards drop before we get too reactionary,” Cox said.
