Oak Bay is moving forward with a plan to respond to the U.S. President Donald Trump's looming tariff threat.
On Feb. 24, council voted in favour of a Feb. 10 motion calling on the district to limit its purchase of American products if the U.S. levies the 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods set to take effect March 4.
“Be it resolved that in the event widespread tariffs are implemented by the United States during 2025, that the district’s purchasing policy be immediately amended to prohibit the district from purchasing goods and services directly from American vendors and providers, unless those goods or services are essential to the health and safety of Oak Bay residents and/or no alternative sources are available,” reads the motion.
It adds that local vendors and contractors that rely on American goods and services to conduct their business will be treated the same as other local companies.
“I think that it’s important that even at our local level that we announce to the administration of the United States our intention to respond directly to economic threats that will impact our citizens,” said Coun. Andrew Appleton, who submitted the motion.
Some councillors expressed concerns about the possible policy shift.
“Will this pose any challenges in terms of tracking [and] monitoring goods and services?” asked Coun. Cairine Green. “Is there any issue with adding more burden to our staff to do this?”
Oak Bay’s chief financial officer Rianna Lachance assured Green that it would be “easy” to determine whether a supplier is Canadian or American.
Appleton noted that Oak Bay's actions won't have much of an impact on the U.S.
“The immediate economic impact of this motion could be minimal, but I think we need to send this message because it’s the right thing to do," he said.
Before concluding the discussion, Mayor Kevin Murdoch shared his views about the possible American tariff.
“Tariffs are a legitimate trade tool for managing unfair trade practices and making sure true costs are reflected,” he said. “This is clearly not what is being intended by the U.S. in this situation and so I think it’s on all of us to make sure we’re doing all we can to support our nation in times like this.”
Other Greater Victoria communities, including View Royal, Saanich and Victoria, have made similar moves.
