Surrey, B.C., mayor joins alliance of border communities ahead of possible tariffs

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said potential U.S. tariffs would put hundreds of jobs in her community at risk, as she became the latest mayor to join an alliance advocating for Canadian border communities.

Locke said Thursday that more than 20 per cent of businesses in Surrey, B.C., have direct trade ties with the United States amounting to roughly $2.8 billion in cross-border commerce each year.

“The introduction of these tariffs threatens to disrupt vital supply chains impacting cities and communities across the country, and therefore demands a Canada-first approach,” Locke told a news conference in Surrey.

The Border Mayors Alliance includes about 20 Canadian mayors and was formed in response to threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all goods imported from Canada as early as Saturday.

“This partnership serves as a unified national voice to protect and advocate for communities, for cities and for neighbourhoods,” Locke said.

She said the B.C. municipalities of Langley and Nelson are already a part of the alliance and that she has talked to mayors in other communities about the issue.

Surrey is home to two border crossings, including the Peace Arch Crossing, one of the busiest in Canada.

Locke said the city is also the “hub” of the province’s trucking industry.

A statement from the City of Surrey says it has approximately 113 import and export businesses and 900 transportation and warehousing companies that may experience “spillover consequences” if there is a disruption in manufacturing and exporting activities.

Windsor, Ont., Mayor Drew Dilkens, who is chair of the alliance, told the news conference that mayors of border cities and towns witness firsthand how interconnected communities are on either side of the border.

“The alliance notes that our two nations have never faced a circumstance that so profoundly threatens our shared economy and poses such devastating impacts on our country, on our cities, and, of course, on our families,” he said.

Trump told reporters Thursday that the tariffs are coming for Canada and Mexico on Saturday, adding that he would decide Thursday night whether the duties will include oil.

Locke said supports of some kind for businesses affected by any potential tariffs will be required if they go ahead.

“There’s no doubt about that. If 25 per cent tariffs hit businesses in Surrey, there definitely would have to be some sort of relief. I don’t know what the federal government is proposing totally but I think some of this has to unfold a little bit after Saturday,” she said.

B.C. Premier David Eby said this week that any money gained through possible retaliatory tariffs should be immediately used to help businesses survive and diversify their markets away from the United States.

All three levels of government have been responding to the tariff threat, with premiers holding a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, Public Safety Minister David McGuinty and Immigration Minister Marc Miller are all in or travelling to Washington Thursday and Friday for meetings with senators and some of Trump’s team.

Canadian premiers have a trade mission to Washington planned for Feb. 12.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2025.

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press