Kingston city council is preparing to consider a motion that would establish a tariff working group aimed at helping local businesses navigate the growing uncertainty in trade relations between Canada and the United States.
Motion targets coordination, procurement and advocacy
The motion, brought forward by Mayor Bryan Paterson and Coun. Greg Ridge (King’s Town District), asks staff to work with the local business community and partner organizations to:
- identify strategies to mitigate the impacts of ongoing Canada–U.S. trade uncertainty;
- coordinate communications efforts, share information and best practices;
- collaborate on advocacy efforts to support Kingston’s businesses, workers and local economy;
- help local businesses find ways to coordinate procurement opportunities that prioritise local and Canadian suppliers where possible.
“When tariffs first came into play we encouraged a support local and buy Canadian push and also directed staff to look at our procurement policies to make sure that we’re supporting Canadian as much as possible,”
The motion emphasises practical supports for firms that rely on cross‑border supply chains, and for municipal procurement to be leveraged where legal and contractual frameworks allow.
What the city has already done
Municipal staff and council have previously moved to increase the share of Canadian suppliers used by the city. The report accompanying the council motion notes that roughly 17 months ago Kingston launched an effort to expand the number of domestic vendors it buys goods and services from. Since that procurement policy change, the city says that in instances where it has the authority to decide the supplier, it has selected Canadian suppliers for 99 per cent of purchases.
That success, however, is moderated by legal and practical limits the city must respect. The motion points out that Kingston remains bound by directives from upper levels of government, existing contracts and international treaties — situations in which the municipality has little or no discretion to favour local suppliers.
Local economy and tourism
Councillors and local business groups have also been urging residents to support area businesses. The motion references past measures and previous federal decisions that affected municipal finances: councillors heard earlier this year that the federal government’s decision to drop its retaliatory tariffs in mid‑2025 provided relief to Kingston’s financial position. The city’s tourism sector, the report says, has fared relatively well amid the earlier waves of tariff actions.
| Item | City position / action |
|---|---|
| Procurement policy change | Expanded efforts to buy from Canadian suppliers (implemented ~17 months ago) |
| Canadian supplier selection rate | 99% where city has authority |
| Constraints | Upper‑level directives, existing contracts, international treaties |
What a working group could mean for Kingston
If council approves the motion, the working group would create a structured forum for municipal staff, business leaders and local organisations to share intelligence about how tariffs and counter‑tariffs are affecting specific sectors and to synchronise responses. That could include joint communication campaigns to encourage local spending, collaborative approaches to regional procurement and coordinated advocacy to provincial and federal officials.
For Kingston’s mixed urban and rural economic landscape, such measures are significant. Urban businesses dependent on imported inputs and tourism face different pressures than rural suppliers and manufacturers that participate in longer supply chains. A local working group could help tailor responses that reflect those differences while amplifying the community’s voice in broader trade discussions.
Council is scheduled to consider the motion at its Tuesday night meeting. If adopted, staff would begin consulting with the business community and report back with recommendations on the working group’s structure, membership and priorities.
As trade relations remain unsettled, the motion underscores municipal leaders’ intent to use every available municipal lever to support Kingston businesses and workers while acknowledging the limits imposed by higher levels of government and existing contracts.
