The Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) used its annual advocacy day to call on the Government of Canada to make free and fair trade with the United States a top priority in the ongoing review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and in renewed negotiations with Washington.
The association said an integrated North American economy works, while tariffs on either side of the border raise costs for farmers, contractors, miners and builders that Canada relies on to grow the economy.
Brian P. McGuire, AED president and CEO, said equipment that builds Canada is built, sourced and serviced on both sides of the border, and many components cross the border several times before a machine reaches a customer. He said every tariff, whether imposed by Washington or Ottawa, adds cost at each crossing, and those costs are ultimately paid by farmers, contractors, municipalities and Canadian families.
Advocacy across the border
AED said it was disappointed in August that the two countries could not reach a trade agreement and has since stepped up advocacy on both sides of the border. In September, McGuire wrote to U.S. governors in states with significant exposure to Canadian trade, urging them to press for a return to the bargaining table.
The association said its U.S. members have met with more than 100 members of the U.S. House and Senate. AED Canadian board member Brian Osterndorff recently presented AED's case to the Senate of Canada.
McGuire said AED's resolve remains strong and that equipment dealers and manufacturers in both countries agree free and fair trade is the best path to prosperity for the sectors they serve. He said AED wants Canadian decision-makers to have the facts about what is at stake and to encourage efforts to get both governments back to the table.
He also warned that when customers cannot count on stable prices and stable trade rules, they delay purchases. Those delays, he said, reduce work for technicians and hold back projects Canada needs, from housing to critical minerals to food production.
Recommendations for Canada
AED made several recommendations as part of the CUSMA discussions:
- Seek tariff certainty and sector-specific relief. AED called for exemptions and clarified tariff relief for the heavy equipment industry, and for all diplomatic channels to be used to prevent new tariffs on equipment and components.
- Avoid retaliation that targets equipment. The association said tariffs and retaliatory tariffs on industrial goods hit Canadian farmers, contractors and resource producers first, and any Canadian response should be carefully targeted without penalizing the equipment Canadians use to build and produce.
- Establish clear, predictable rules for critical components. AED noted that engine parts, safety electronics and other specialized inputs often have no practical alternative supplier outside North America.
- Work with industry and labour. AED recommended assessing the full impact of tariffs and developing contingency measures that safeguard Canadian jobs and investment.
- Build resilience at home. The association urged Canada to advance critical infrastructure and support skilled trades training so Canadian industries can invest with confidence.
McGuire said the sectors governments rely on to build housing, develop critical minerals, strengthen energy security and feed Canadians all depend on reliable access to equipment and integrated North American supply chains. He described equipment as an enabling industry and said AED is ready to be a partner to government.