Mayors from Canada, the US and Mexico unite to call for an end to Trump’s North American trade war

Toronto’s Mayor Olivia Chow warned that the unprovoked and chaotic trade war was hurting Americans, Canadians and Mexicans

Mayors from Canada, the US and Mexico attending the Washington trade summit (from left): LaToya Cantrell, Mayor of New Orleans, USA; Carlos Jacobo Rodríguez, Mayor of Piedras Negras, Mexico; Brittany Merrifield, Mayor of Grand Bay-Westfield, Canada

March 2025: Last week (28 March), Mayors from Canada, the US and Mexico attended a trade summit in Washington to form a united effort to push back on US President Donald Trump's growing tariff agenda. Andrew Ginther, mayor of Columbus, Ohio, said their message is clear: “End the trade war and restore the stable and mutually beneficial trading relationship that existed for many years and benefited the people of all three countries." Toronto’s Mayor Olivia Chow warned that the unprovoked and chaotic trade war was hurting Americans, Canadians and Mexicans.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) joined the US. Conference of Mayors and a delegation of Mexican mayors for a tri-national trade summit of local leaders. At the heart of these discussions were the shared consequences of recent tariffs on workers, industries, and communities in all three countries. Through direct exchanges with their counterparts, mayors from all three shared local experiences and data on the economic toll these measures are taking. Together, local leaders issued a united call to bring an end to the damaging tariffs.

Joint statement by mayors from Mexico, the US and Canada

“As mayors from Canada, Mexico, and the United States, we urge national leaders to respect existing trade agreements between our three nations. For nearly 30 years, North American trade has provided immense value to all our communities, creating jobs and reducing the cost of living for families. Our nations have no better trading partners, and when we trade with fair rules – like under the US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) – all three benefit.”

“In 2022, with strong support from the mayors of all three nations, trade between the three countries supported approximately 17 million jobs, marking a 32 per cent increase compared to 2020. The escalation of tariffs only raises costs for businesses, workers, and consumers across North America. Tariffs are taxes that increase the cost of living, drain bank accounts, put supply chains and jobs at risk and disrupt the local businesses that drive the economies in all three nations. Our communities will feel the impact first.”

“Our cities and countries need policies that encourage investment and facilitate the efficient movement of goods and services across borders to sustain economic prosperity and job creation. We urge national leaders to put our communities first, end the trade war, and keep our countries strong with free and fair trade. Our families, businesses, and workers depend on it.”

US mayors attending the trade summit

Mayor Andrew Ginther, Columbus, OH | President, United States Conference of Mayors

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, Columbia, SC

Mayor Andy Schor, Lansing, MI

Mayor LaToya Cantrell, New Orleans, LA

Mayor Bryan Barnett, Rochester Hills, MI

Mayor Ron Nirenberg, San Antonio, TX

Canadian mayors attending the trade summit

Mayor Brittany Merrifield, Grand Bay-Westfield, NB 

Mayor Guillaume Tremblay, Mascouche, QC

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, Ottawa, ON

Mayor Chad Bachynski, Regina, SK

Mayor Alanna Hnatiw, Sturgeon County, AB

Mayor Brenda Locke, Surrey, BC

Mayor Olivia Chow, Toronto, ON

Mayor Drew Dilkens, Windsor, ON

Mexican mayors attending the trade summit

Mayor Claudia Agatón, Ensenada, BC

Mayor Jorge Hernández, Cuautepec de Hinojosa, HDO

Mayor Luis Daniel Serrano, Cuautitlán Izcalli, EDOMEX

Mayor Homero Martínez, Lerdo, DGO

Mayor Isaac Martín Montoya, Naucalpan de Juárez, EDOMEX

Mayor Julio Alberto Arreola, Pátzcuaro, MICH

Mayor Carlos Jacobo Rodríguez, Piedras Negras, COAH

Mayor Adrián Chaparro ,Pueblo Nuevo, DGO

Mayor Enrique Francisco Galindo, San Luis Potosí, SLP

Mayor Carlos Alberto Manzo, Uruapan, MICH

Sources: The Federation of Canadian Municipalities; The United States Conference of Mayors; Municipality of Piedras Negras (Mexico)

Further reading: Canadian mayors join forces to counter Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs |

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