‘Now the angry phase is coming’: Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow talks tariffs in Washington

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow was in Washington, D.C. on Friday to discuss tariffs at a trilateral trade summit with big city mayors from Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Chow says the visit, which is aimed at helping to promote strong trilateral relationships between municipal leaders who are opposed to U.S. tariffs, shared perspectives about how President Trump’s trade war is harming their cities, including the auto sector in both Michigan and Ontario. There was also a presentation from The Atlantic Council about the importance of integrated trade and supply chains across North America.

“Toronto is taking a Team Canada approach, standing up for Canadian workers and businesses,” Chow said in a statement following the talks. “We are united as mayors across North America in standing up against senseless, unjustified tariffs that threaten jobs and make life more expensive for families in our communities.”

Before the meetings, Chow made two television appearances on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and CNN News Central, where she flexed her nationalistic pride and promised to fight back against American economic aggression.

“Now the angry phase is coming,” Chow told TV host Joe Scarborough. “We’re not going to buy any American goods anymore.” 

“It’s going to hurt both sides, but we have to defend ourselves,” she added.

Chow’s comments come on the heels of Trump’s latest tariff announcement, in which he plans to impose a 25 per cent tax on cars and auto parts that are made outside the U.S. That’s on top of previously announced tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Earlier this week, Toronto city council unanimously agreed to adopt a new procurement policy that will “prioritize Canadian suppliers” and exclude “U.S. suppliers from City contracts under certain thresholds.”

“Toronto is the fourth-largest city in North America. We have a budget that’s $79 billion,” Chow explained. “The feeling that I’m getting from Torontonians is that we’re hurt. We’re going to fight back. We’re going to really be more resilient.”

“We are feeling very united right now, and we’re going to rely on ourselves. We’re going to make our own things, buy our own goods, and once you establish that, we feel well, we don’t need to depend on America anymore,” she added.

When asked if Canada-U.S. relations could be repaired, Chow expressed uncertainty.

“I can’t really tell, that’s what’s a bit scary about it,” she explained. “In terms of government-to-government, is there going to be that trust anymore? I’m not sure. It depends on what happens in these four years.”