Saint John is country’s most ‘tariff-exposed’ city: Canadian Chamber of Commerce

A new report says Saint John, N.B., is the most “tariff exposed” city in Canada.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says Saint John, N.B., is the country’s most “tariff-exposed” city.

The ranking of 41 cities, released Tuesday, suggests Saint John’s vulnerability is due to the Irving Oil Refinery exporting 80 per cent of crude oil to the United States, along with New Brunswick’s top exports of forestry products and seafood going to the state of Maine.

Calgary and Windsor, Ont., came in at number two and three respectively in the ranking, but they were far below Saint John.

The national chamber placed Saint John on its “tariff exposure index” at 131.1 per cent, compared to Calgary at 81.6 per cent, and Windsor at 61.7 per cent.

The only other Maritime city in the ranking’s top 20 was Fredericton in the 18th spot (at 4.2 per cent).

Fraser Wells, chair of the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, says it’s not a surprise for the city to rank so high.

“Eight-hundred New Brunswick businesses export to the U.S., and a lot of those are centred here in Saint John,” says Wells, adding how the disparity between Saint John and other Canadian cities is noteworthy. “Many businesses are still moving ahead with plans they’ve had in place, which may require some pivots in the future if these tariffs come to fruition. Certainly we’re hopeful, and from what we’re seeing, a lot of the momentum is continuing forward.”

The Atlantic Chamber of Commerce recently launched a new website for its Market Entry Development Program to help regional businesses establish a presence in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

Rhonda Tulk-Lane, CEO of the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce, says diversifying markets is its main message to members across the region.

“We always knew New Brunswick, with the border, was the one that would be impacted directly and be the most vulnerable,” says Tulk-Lane. “It really does speak to all the things we’ve been doing over the last month-and-a-half to prepare. We have to keep our foot on the pedal.”

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