Whitby Moves to Strengthen Procurement Rules to Support Canadian and Local Businesses Amid Tariffs

The Town of Whitby is actively taking steps to navigate and minimize the impacts of U.S. imposed tariffs on Canadian and local businesses.

Last night (April 14), Whitby Town Council unanimously supported amendments to the Town’s procurement by-law, which will go to Regular Council for approval on April 28. The updates to the by-law prioritize the purchase of goods and services from Canadian suppliers whenever possible and restricts U.S. businesses from bidding on Town contracts. The changes build on the Town’s actions taken to combat trade tariffs, protect the local economy, and keep jobs.

The Town continues to review its by-laws and permitting processes to identify further opportunities to support Canadian and local businesses. Staff are also monitoring the potential financial implications of the tariffs on key contracts and infrastructure projects that could affect the Town’s budget.

The Town remains committed to working closely with its Mayor’s Tariffs Task Force and partners at the local, regional, provincial, and federal levels to monitor developments and determine further local actions as needed.

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Quotes

Whitby’s economy is built on the strength of our local businesses and workers. These by-law changes send a clear message: we stand with Canadian and local businesses and we’re taking decisive action to protect jobs and our local economy. We will continue to explore every available tool to support our business community through these challenges.

- Elizabeth Roy, Mayor, Town of Whitby

These updates reflect our commitment to supporting Canadian and local businesses and doing what we can at the municipal level to reduce the impact of tariffs. I encourage residents to visit whitby.ca/Tariffs to learn more about how to support our business community during this time.

- Matt Gaskell, Chief Administrative Officer, Town of Whitby

Quick Facts

• The by-law updates align with recent Procurement Restriction Policy made by the Province of Ontario’s to define a ‘U.S. Business’ and restrict U.S. Businesses from accessing public sector procurements in Ontario.
• A U.S. Business is defined as having its headquarters or main office located in the U.S. and fewer than 250 full-time employees in Canada at the time of the applicable procurement process.
• The Town will continue to monitor guidance and best practices from all levels of government and make further updates to the Town’s procurement policy and practices, as required.

More Information

More information on the Town’s response to tariffs is available at whitby.ca/Tariffs.

Learn more about other local priorities at whitby.ca/TownAdvocacy.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Erin Mikaluk, Manager, Communications and Creative Services, Town of Whitby
Phone: 289.314.6913; Email: mikaluke@whitby.ca

Office of the Mayor

Jillian Follert, Public Affairs Coordinator, Office of the Mayor
Phone: 289.387.9101; Email: follertj@whitby.ca