Border city mayors call on feds to support duty free stores caught in trade war cross-fire
Duty free stores across Canada and the border communities they operate in are calling for help from the federal government.
It comes as Canadians continue to steer away from travel to the U.S. during U.S. President Trump's trade war on Canada and other countries.
'This is not a fat-cat industry,' said Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, who spoke at a news conference in Ottawa Tuesday.
'The people we've spoken to who have these particular operations across this country are ordinary working people who live in their community, employ people in their community and give back to their community,' he said.
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Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens join a news conference on Parliamant Hill, Ottawa by Zoom. (File)
Bradley has joined 14 other border city mayors in penning an open letter to the federal government asking for help for duty free stores.
The group wants immediate cash support for duty free stores.
It also wants the government to align excise tax policies and export status with American duty free rules- something they say would make them more competitive with U.S. stores.
'Urgent action is needed. We risk losing independent, family run duty free stores that have been the cornerstone of our town for decades,' said Tania Lee, a representative for the Frontier Duty Free Association.
The FDFA says duty free stores have been disproportionately impacted by the trade war. It says the last time duty free shops went through anything like the current crisis was during COVID, when the border was closed for two years. According to the mayors, duty free stores have struggled to get back on their feet.
'The duty free business in our community is generally driven by those who are going over for sporting events, for leisure travel and that is what you're seeing decline dramatically,' said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
'It's not just in Windsor, it's across our country where Canadians are saying, 'you know what, we just don't want to go to the United States, we don't want to spend our money there right now, we don't want to travel there,'' he said.
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Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens join a news conference on Parliamant Hill, Ottawa by Zoom. (File)
The FDFA says its members have seen their revenues decline by 60 to 80 per cent due to the U.S. trade war.
Mayor Bradley says 3,000 jobs are at stake.
'If the industry fails across this country, some future government in the next five to 10 years is going to have to re-invent the duty free industry. We don't want to see that happen,' said Bradley.
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