Holding Firm. Building Stronger.

“They asked too much and offered too little.”  Prime Minister Carney, August 22, 2026.

The Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce, a collective voice of business, supports the Prime Minister’s position that Canada should not accept an agreement at any price. The United States remains our largest trading partner, but the final negotiations had moved beyond tariffs into questions of sovereignty, including Canada’s ability to diversify trade and protect our culture.

Our region has been helping build Canada for generations, in ways that are practical, visible, and deeply rooted in this region: through our deep-water port, our industries, our resources, our entrepreneurs and the businesses that connect us to the world. That history matters now because the country is entering another period in which our economic strength will depend upon the many assets we possess. These inherent strengths will allow us to continue to build a country that is competitive, self-reliant and less vulnerable to decisions made beyond our borders.

It is equally important to be clear about the economic reality facing businesses. CUSMA is still in force and many Canadian goods such as petroleum products and aquaculture continue to receive tariff-free access to the U.S. market.

At the same time, the United States has imposed separate tariffs on key sectors, including steel, aluminum, paper and softwood lumber. For New Brunswick, where more than 90 per cent of international exports are destined for the United States, that exposure is significant.

The impact will not be just large exporters. It will reach everyday main street – small and medium-sized businesses will be affected by higher costs, inflation, disrupted supply chains and weaker confidence. A contractor purchasing steel or aluminum, a retailer importing stock, a restaurant absorbing changing food costs, a creative business buying framing and packaging materials, or a local producer trying to reach new customers may experience this dispute differently, but none operates in isolation from it.

Our response cannot be driven by fear or by rhetoric. It needs to be grounded in resilience. Also, as tempting as it is, we must do away with the insults. There will understandably be anger and frustration. But Canada’s strongest response is not the loudest one. It is a disciplined, united and strategically focused response that makes our economy stronger, regardless of what happens next in Washington.

For us, that means we need to protect the trading relationships we already have, while creating more options. It means making it easier to do business across provincial borders. It means developing new international markets and strengthening the infrastructure that connects our products to those markets. It means ensuring that our energy, transportation and regulatory costs allow businesses here to compete. And it means looking more deliberately at what we can source, build and buy within Canada.

The Saint John region has a vital role to play in that work.

We are home to one of Canada’s major ports, significant energy and industrial infrastructure, established manufacturing capabilities and generations of experience of moving Canadian products into global markets. Those are not only pieces of our history, they are also strategic assets for Canada’s future.

This is also a moment for national and local unity. Governments, businesses, institutions and consumers all have a role. Government must provide timely support where tariffs are causing direct harm and move faster on internal trade, infrastructure and competitiveness. Businesses need to understand where their own vulnerabilities lie and where Canadian suppliers or new markets can reduce them. As consumers and institutions, we can make more deliberate choices about supporting local and Canadian businesses where they are competition.

The challenge before us is not to get through another round of tariffs. It is to emerge from this period with a stronger domestic economy, more diversified markets and greater confidence in our ability to stand together when our interests are tested.

Our region and country have faced economic upheaval before. From the end of the Corn Laws to two World Wars and the Great Depression, our history is filled with moments when the rules changed, and we were forced to adapt. Context matters now. The sage adage predicts” this too shall pass”, but how we respond in the days and months ahead could shape our economy for generations. To be ready is the key.

Saint John has helped build Canada before.

Now is the time to do it again. Simply put. Support local, be open to new economic opportunities, put maple syrup in your coffee, eat more blueberries, wear those nice mittens and for goodness’s sake, buy Canadian.

Shannon Merrifield

CEO Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce