Regardless of an introduced 30-day pause on tariffs imposed by america, the Metropolis of Calgary is exploring potential impacts the levies and retaliatory measures may have on operations.
Based on metropolis administration, impacts associated to cost fluctuations, modifications to product availability and potential provide chain delays are all anticipated if tariffs are imposed subsequent month.
“We remain resilient and are prepared to address challenges that may arise from U.S. tariffs and any reciprocal tariffs that Canada may implement,” town mentioned in a press release to World Information. “We will continue to extend projections as more information becomes available.”
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, who’s travelling to Ottawa on Wednesday to satisfy with Canada’s large metropolis mayors on tariffs, informed reporters Tuesday that the Metropolis of Calgary isn’t insulated to the tariff threats.
“It is possible that some of the chemicals we use to treat the water is supplied to us from the U.S.,” Gondek mentioned. “There is an exhaustive list of things our administration is looking at so we can understand the full implications.”
Based on the Calgary Building Affiliation (CCA), figuring out particular impacts is difficult because of the integration of provide chains on each side of the border.
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“It is so intensely integrated that it’s actually very difficult to identify specifics because they’re buried in the way we’ve operated for so long,” CCA president Invoice Black informed World Information. “For instance, aluminum leaves Canada, goes into the U.S., is processed into products such as glazing mullions and profiles and is then shipped back into Canada.”
David Cooper, principal at Main Mobility, mentioned municipalities may see impacts in buying specialised tools like transit buses, for instance.
“There’s a highly-integrated supply chain there when you look at things such as hydraulic systems, or seats or technology, even the frame of the vehicle,” Cooper mentioned. “There’s a lot of back and forth when it comes to manufacturing vehicles, but it really depends on where you are on overall procurement.”
The Metropolis of Calgary mentioned has proactively taken measures to organize for potential tariffs, however didn’t touch upon what these actions are.
There are a number of ongoing initiatives inside the metropolis which can be at numerous levels of procurement, together with the Occasion Centre and Inexperienced Line LRT.
Though Black mentioned he doesn’t anticipate impacts on the Scotia Place challenge with shovels already within the floor, he famous there’s nonetheless time to organize if tariffs are in the end imposed.
“We have time, we have 30 days delay now, these projects are in planning,” Black mentioned. “We have recommended that owners should exclude tariffs when they’re submitting pricing. The reality is industry will not take the tariff risk.”
Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong mentioned town must depend on “good procurement management” to make sure prices on metropolis initiatives and providers stay inside funds.
Wong mentioned metropolis administration is working with stakeholders round how town procures supplies, and the fee implications of tariffs.
“From a procurement perspective, perhaps we could look at procurement across Canada rather than going stateside,” Wong mentioned.
The Metropolis of Calgary mentioned it stays dedicated to “securing the best value for public funds,” nevertheless it stays unclear if the anticipated impacts will likely be felt if a decision is discovered over the following 30 days.