Table of Contents 

• Click here for the highlights.
  • Coffee with Julie #2
  • Opening night gala at Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival
  • Officially sworn in as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Meeting with Toronto Community Housing
  • … and so much more!
• NEWS AND UPDATES
  • Federal Court Rules That Prime Minister’s Decision To Prorogue Parliament Is Within Limits Of Charter
  • One-Month Exemption From U.S. 25% Tariffs On Most Canadian Goods Until April 2
  • Ministers Mackinnon, Ng, And Valdez Announce Supports For Canadian Businesses And Workers In Response To U.S. Tariffs
  • New Measures To Support Canada’s Construction Industry
  • Canada Signs $37b Deal With 11 Provinces And Territories For Child Care Program

Davenport Friends and Neighbours / Amis et Voisins de Davenport,

The trade war between Canada and the U.S. has begun. This update will be a bit different than my usual newsletters. As with everything to do with President Trump, everything can change in a moment — but this edition contains everything we know at time of print about the unprovoked trade war that the United States has started against Canada. There is also some new information about support that our federal government is proposing for workers and businesses affected by U.S. tariffs.

Toward the end of this piece, there is also  information about updated funding for our child care program, the outcome of the National Forum on Combatting Antisemitism that took place in Ottawa this week, and the 20th Annual Toronto Sketchfest — a showcase of local comedy talent with events taking place over the next two weeks, many of which will be right here in Davenport.

• On the tariffs: we have been informed that 25% tariffs on many Canadian goods going into the U.S. are on pause for another month — all CUSMA-compliant items have been exempted (so, all goods negotiated within the free trade agreement). 
• The Prime Minister, working closely with our premiers and territorial leaders, has said that the uncertainty caused by the back-and-forth regarding the tariffs cannot go on. It is causing a great deal of stress on both sides of the border for the business community.
• Some provincial leaders have decided to keep some of their tariffs in place in order to put pressure on President Trump to stop the games and stop this nonsensical back-and-forth. Premier Doug Ford has said: “Zero tariffs or nothing. This attack was not started by our country,” vowing to keep U.S. alcohol off of LCBO shelves, and B.C. Premier David Eby has announced that his province will be pulling U.S. alcohol from shelves until the tariffs are removed.

It is also important to recall our 4-point strategy:

1) We have been doing everything we can to stop the tariffs from coming into effect and educate Americans about the massive impact the tariffs will have on everyday costs in the United States, as well as the impact on their jobs. This is why Ministers and Premiers have been travelling to Washington, and why we are focused on communicating with the Governors of the 32 states for whom Canada is the largest export market.

We have also made an intentional effort to address all of the concerns that President Trump has articulated regarding our shared border. Less than 1% of fentanyl and less than 1% of illegal migration cross into the U.S. from Canada — but we have announced an additional $1.3 billion in funding at the border to further address this issue and hopefully alleviate American concerns.

It is also untrue that Canada has a $200 billion trade deficit with the United States. If we look at data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. had a services trade surplus of $31.7 billion with Canada in 2024.

2) We have a multi-level targeted retaliatory tariff plan in place to keep pressure on the U.S. to completely remove their tariffs on Canada. As the Prime Minister announced this week, our first level of tariffs is on $30 billion worth of American goods, which has already taken effect. The remaining tariffs, on $125 billion worth of goods, has been paused in response to the U.S.’s pause on tariffs. Our principles around the retaliatory tariff strategy are to:

• Maximize the impact on Americans;
• Minimize the impact on Canadians; and
• Ensure that there is no one area of the country that feels a disproportionate impact.

3) We are doing everything we can to increase trade within Canada and strengthen our internal economy. This includes a Buy Canadian campaign, and I encourage all Davenport businesses to sign on to the Made in Canada Directory if they have not already done so. 78% of our trade is with the United States: we clearly put too many eggs into one basket, so we are now focused on trying to redirect some of that trade to stay within Canada. We are working quickly to eliminate trade barriers and regulations to help facilitate the flow of  workers, goods, and services across our country. 

4) We are working with our international partners to look at redirecting some of our trade flows to other countries. Canada already has trade agreements with every G7 country and most OECD countries — and there are many discussions happening behind the scenes. These talks are ongoing and more will arise in the coming weeks and months. European countries absolutely want to work with us, as they also feel under threat and are likewise looking to redirect their trade flows.

Based on interviews and media reports, the tariffs seem to be a negotiation tactic by President Trump. There is a belief that if our Canadian dollar and the resolve of Canadian businesses are weakened, the President can renegotiate a more favourable deal for the U.S. in the next iteration of CUSMA. Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne has announced that measures are being put into place for a national security review of foreign acquisitions or investments into Canadian companies. Economic security is national security, and we take threats of economic warfare seriously. We will stop at nothing to protect Canadian businesses and the Canadian economy.

I want to join our Prime Minister in calling for all Canadians to stay united right now. It’s important that citizens, businesses, and leaders unite within our nation. The Prime Minister is not only in touch with business leaders and all provincial and territorial leaders, but he is also in touch with opposition leaders, and as many leaders as possible in other sectors in this country — because we know that we will only win if we are united and stay together.

A few other points to note this week:

There was a three-level forum on antisemitism held in Ottawa this week to address the alarming rise in antisemitism across Canada, and develop comprehensive National Action Commitments to address antisemitism.

Our Small Business Minister, Trade Minister, and Employment Minister have announced measures we are beginning to put in place to protect those who are and may be affected by tariffs in the future — make sure to visit the “News” section further down for more information.

It’s really important for us to support arts and culture in our community and our city. We have the 20th Annual Toronto SketchFest happening in our very own Davenport community at Theatre Centre for the next two weeks, and I encourage everyone to visit the festival.

This week I was sworn in as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. It is an honour to serve Davenport, the Latin American & Hispanic community, and Canadians in this role.

To close off this letter, I want to remind you all that Ramadan has begun, March 8 marks International Women’s Day, and March is also Month of La Francophonie.

As always, it is a true honour and pleasure to serve you.

My very best regards,

Julie Dzerowicz
Member of Parliament – Davenport