The Anishnawbe Business Professional Association (ABPA) is “deeply concerned” about the proposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports and their potential to harm to the economic stability of Indigenous businesses in the oil and gas, forestry, mining, and electricity sectors.
ABPA president Jason Rasevych, a member of Ginoogaming First Nation, said the business organization is urging the federal and provincial governments to work with treaty partners to ensure that Indigenous leaders are a part of the discussion to mitigate these impacts and support the resilience and prosperity of all Canadians.
“Canada needs more than reactive tariffs or bailouts. We need a bold, forward-thinking strategy that makes us the obvious choice for global business,” Rasevych told The Chronicle-Journal. “That means reducing internal trade barriers and championing the strengths that set us apart.”
He said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Indigenous businesses were a low priority for relief programming from provincial and federal governments.
“We need to ensure that this doesn’t happen again and that these businesses are supported to deal with tariff impacts,” he said.
Rasevych pointed out how key Indigenous business sectors could be affected by the tariffs.
“Indigenous communities with equity and participation agreements in the oil and gas sector could face significant revenue losses due to reduced exports and increased costs,” he said. “Tariffs on lumber will strain the forestry sector, leading to job losses and reduced income for First Nations communities that have forest licenses and are reliant on forestry agreements.”
The competitiveness of Canadian mining exports is also threatened by tariffs, and Rasevych notes this will hurt Indigenous communities with stakes in mining operations.
“Tariffs on electricity exports to the U.S. could lead to higher costs and reduced demand, impacting Indigenous communities involved in electricity generation and export.”
Meanwhile, ABPA has set out recommendations for all levels of government to do their part.
The recommendations include expanding trade agreements with other countries to reduce dependency on the U.S. market, investments in infrastructure projects for Indigenous communities to increase competitiveness, and an increase in funding for business development programs that support Indigenous entrepreneurs.
Rasevych added services within the province should be promoted to reduce reliance on imports. Land claims and First Nations rights need to be strengthened and Indigenous tourism, technology and agriculture could be better supported.
“The government needs to collaborate with Indigenous organizations to develop and implement economic development strategies,” he said.
