A recent article in Plant Magazine dated March 4, 2025 said that two-thirds of businesses can "weather a trade war" that lasts more than a year according to a KPMG survey.

Taken last week, the survey also found over 85 per cent continue to support retaliatory tariffs against the U.S.

Two-thirds (67 percent) of Canadian business leaders say they can weather a trade war that lasts more than a year, finds a new survey by KPMG in Canada taken last week.

Over eight in 10 (86 per cent) continue to support retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. - the same sentiment held a month ago when KPMG first surveyed corporate Canada on their tariff response.

According to KPMG, the uncertainty around U.S. trade policy has had Canadian companies rushing to find ways to mitigate their risk and tariff-proof their organization. The company says that while it varies by company and industry, mitigation strategies include identifying areas to optimize and streamline operations, forming partnerships to open up new markets, diversifying supply chains, divesting non-core activities, exploring foreign-exchange hedging opportunities, incorporating tariff and transfer pricing plans, seeking exemptions and securing subsidies or taking advantage of tax incentives.

"The business community remains unwavering in its commitment to stand up for Canada," says Timothy Prince, the Canadian Managing Partner for Clients and Markets, KPMG in Canada. 'The size of the tariffs and the length of time tariffs remain in place will impact their ability to weather the coming storm. Already the uncertainty is prompting companies to examine every facet of their business to understand their options, with three-quarters already undertaking a strategic review of their operations." "While they will do what they must to ride this out, they expect governments to take bold action to eliminate interprovincial barriers, build a national energy-agnostic corridor, reduce red tape, and revamp the tax system to improve their ability to compete. As many as 86 per cent say it's time to diversify energy export markets with increased pipelines and infrastructure in Western and Eastern Canada, and reduce our reliance on having to move oil and gas to Eastern Canada through the U.S."

For the complete story please click the link below:

bit.ly/4i5WUpT

We are going to print this month and have a few ad spots available:

Statement by Candace Laing, President & CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce:

“Today's reckless decision by the U.S. administration is forcing Canada and the U.S. toward recessions, job losses and economic disaster."

The U.S. government’s self-defeating tariff policy disregards decades of success and trillions in trade to try and revive a failed economic model from the 1800s. Tariffs are a tax on the American people. Rather than bringing back affordability or creating a “golden age” for business, tariffs will cost consumers at the checkout, cost producers more at every point along the supply chain, and force businesses to find alternate suppliers that are less reliable than Canadian ones. 

The U.S. can claim this policy is about hitting Canada where it hurts, but it will soon see the disastrous impacts at home in cities like Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Louisville. The U.S. can save its people from pain by stopping to reassess, as it did in 2018 when it realized the true cost of steel and aluminum tariffs was paid by American manufacturers. 

As for us, now is the time to double down on protecting our economic sovereignty and security. Recent announcements from the federal and provincial governments on internal trade are steps in the right direction, but what we do in this moment can’t be incremental, it must be transformational. To build a resilient, self-reliant and future-proof economy, we need to diversify our trade partners, revamp the tax and regulatory system, and do even more to streamline internal trade. 

Canada is resource and talent rich. Our economic future is ours to determine — it's time to join our economic strategy with concrete action to not only minimize the short-term damage but to chart a more prosperous path long-term.”