RCC Advances Multiple Tariff-Related Activities Pending U.S. Moves  

RCC is very active in readying for a range of trade-related scenarios, including possible 25% US tariffs on all goods that could come down on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Additional 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum may come into effect a week later on March 12, 2025, and would be tacked on to the general 25% on all goods. That would precipitate Canada’s counter-tariffs and possibly other retaliatory measures. Suffice it to say, a lot of threats are floating around without any of them having actually materialized, and the Canadian government with RCC’s support is working hard to avoid them all. RCC will continue to share the latest news as it happens. 

RCC Action: 

• Engaging with senior officials across the Canadian government to coordinate a swift unified response.
• Actively reaching out to the media and participating in ad-hoc groups such as the Canada-US Trade Council and the Forum on Canada-US Issues.
• Hosting discussions, as exemplified by last week’s visit from David French, Executive Vice President, Government Relations at the National Retail Federation, who met with RCC members to review tariff threats.
• Participating in a delegation of Canada-US supply chain representatives scheduled to travel to Washington, DC next week to meet with Canadian and American government officials.
• Preparing for an upcoming meeting with Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem on March 17 to discuss the Canadian dollar’s impact on purchasing, along with the Bank’s economic outlook and potential policy levers.

RCC’s proactive measures will ensure Canadian retailer trade interests remain protected while we await further clarification on U.S. tariff policies