Tariff uncertainty shaking border city ‘to the core,’ mayor says

Local businesses make parts for vehicles assembled in the U.S. and Canada using materials from Southeast Asia, Mexico and beyond, Mayor Bryan Barnett told Smart Cities Dive.

New tariff spats between the U.S. and Canada will compound the issue, Barnett said.

Located just 12 miles from the Canadian border, his city of about 80,000 people has strong personal and professional relationships with its northern neighbor.

The ”massive uncertainty” around tariffs is the death knell for most businesses,” Barnett said.

Barnett, a Republican, said he hopes to “tell the president what’s happening at the local level” with tariffs — particularly Canadian tariffs.