Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz has issued a response to the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs after that office contacted local leaders across the country seeking comments on the impact of current U.S. trade policies on local communities. In a letter sent to William F. Crozer, Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Poloncarz noted that the continued use of section 232 tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel are disrupting Erie county’s economic sector and will soon erode our tourism industry as well.

“Section 232 tariffs are intended to be reserved solely for national security purposes. I was hopeful that these tariffs would be rescinded as part of the larger negotiations between the U.S. and Canada over the modest revisions to the North American Free trade Agreement that the White house is now referring to as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “Unfortunately I was disappointed to learn the administration’s short-sighted Canadian tariff strategy on these products remains in place months later.”

The letter, submitted to Deputy Director Crozer earlier this week, also highlights the deleterious effects the tariffs are having on truck and train commerce between Erie County and Canada along with tariff-related business impacts such as workforce and production cutbacks at Welded Tube and at American auto manufacturers. In addition, the letter warns of the potential erosion of the close economic alliance between Erie County/Western New York and Southern Ontario, an alliance that includes tourism as a main driver of cross-border commerce.

The letter can be read here.

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