Quinte Economic Development Commission CEO Chris King says he was more disappointed than surprised by the breakdown of trade talks between Canada and the U.S.
With manufacturing a major economic driver in the Quinte region, King calls the situation very concerning.
“This region has, you know, a very large and diverse manufacturing cluster that exports product around the globe, and the U.S. market is a very big part of our export sales for local manufacturers. Manufacturing is a big part of our economy. It’s a major employer. There’s massive spin-offs in our region.”
He notes the ongoing uncertainty over the last couple of years has already affected local manufacturers with many holding off on plans as the economic landscape continues to shift.
King says the impact of the trade war on the region won’t fully be known until Prime Minister Mark Carney releases details on Canada’s counter-tariffs.
“You know the reciprocal tariffs from Canada haven’t been announced yet, so we don’t know what that’s going to look like. And you know, hopefully, there’s still some some room for the parties to come back to the table and find a solution to move forward.”
A study by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce last year ranked the Bay of Quinte region 11th in Canada in terms of exposure and sales to the U.S. market.
King says tariffs and counter-tariffs will only drive up prices of goods and services on both sides of the border noting that no one wins in a trade war.
