‘Trade disruptions are felt on the ground in communities’: London community leaders give local perspective on North American trade talks

London Mayor Josh Morgan hosted a panel discussion with community leaders ahead of CUSMA renegotiations. Gerry Dewan reports.

London’s community leaders came together on Friday morning to help give Canada’s CUSMA negotiators a local perspective and, possibly, some leverage when they had to the table.

The two-hour closed-door session at the RBC Place London Convention Centre was headed by London Mayor Josh Morgan, who felt it was important to have many voices at the table, including, “Business owners, manufacturers, cultural industry, tech industry, those and economic development.”

Morgan says the goal was to develop a strong message designed to help land a new trade agreement for Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

“I recognize that the trade negotiations are not a municipal responsibility. But what we do know, and as cities, what we are absolutely 100 per cent sure of is that the impacts of trade disruptions are felt on the ground in communities,” he said.

Among the business leaders involved was Pete Oveson, president of Trojan Technologies. Trojan developed industry leading water purification systems using ultraviolet light. It’s been adopted by businesses and municipalities around the world, including many in the United States.

Morgan says Trojan is one of many examples of companies in the region that benefit from the U.S. market, but whose products also offer a substantial benefit to citizens in the United States.

“I’ve had the opportunity to travel to Washington, with the premier. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with senators and congressmen. And, you know, one of the things I hear is, there is widespread acceptance that a positive North American, trade relationship is good for both countries,” he said.

Dan Granger is president of Sleegers Engineered Products. The company is located on Cuddy Drive in east London and makes pressure vessels for the propane industry and for air receivers. Granger tells CTV News that 70 per cent of their business is in the U.S.

While Granger says he will be watching trade negotiations closely, he wants assurances political leaders maintain a focus on dropping inter-provincial trade barriers.

“Everyone will benefit. I believe that if you look at Canada as a bunch of strategic assets; manufacturing in Ontario, there’s lots of oil and gas and there’s lots of energy resources in B.C., there’s potash,” he said. “There’s all these resources and we need to bring them together into a strategic plan to benefit Canada.”

London Economic Development Corporation President Kapil Lakhotia says negotiations also offer an opportunity to re-focus efforts to capitalize on the sweeping diversification that’s taken place in the region, from agri-food companies to tech entrepreneurs.

“Negotiations are what’s right in front of us. But the long-term play is to develop competitive advantages based on intellectual property innovation, productivity and specialization that makes us stand apart globally in terms of that competitive landscape,” he said.

Morgan says he will sit with the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities next week where trade and trade impacts will be focus of the discussion.