By Kevin Lee, CHBA CEO
The first quarter of the year has been one of the most eventful yet due to an imminent federal election here at home and the threat of sweeping tariffs from Canada’s largest trading partner south of the border.
By now, the ongoing U.S. tariffs saga is well known, but here’s the abridged version and CHBA’s actions related thereto.
U.S. President Donald Trump, even before his inauguration, threatened sweeping 25-per-cent tariffs on all Canadian goods. CHBA was engaged immediately through the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade. The roller coaster has been constant, as Trump has walked back his demands, added new ones and prematurely implemented others. At time of writing, the situation persists and likely will continue for the foreseeable future.
Economic uncertainty
This has understandably created widespread economic uncertainty across Canada and the globe, and CHBA has been working hard to keep members up to date, engage with media, and inform the federal government on the best way forward to minimize negative ramifications within the residential construction industry.
On Feb. 2, immediately after the official announcement of the U.S. tariffs and Canadian retaliatory tariffs, CHBA sent an email to all members advising them of the scope of Trump’s tariffs threat and the possible implications for the residential construction industry. On Feb. 5, CHBA held a member-exclusive webinar on the tariffs and how they would impact CHBA members’ businesses. The webinar garnered record-breaking interest from members, with nearly 2,000 registering for the live broadcast.
During the webinar, CHBA broke down what we knew about the proposed U.S. tariffs, Canada’s proposed countervailing tariffs and other government actions, and potential effects on Canada’s residential construction industry. We discussed the worrisome possible impacts of economic stress on buyers and homeowners (and therefore housing starts), outlined ramifications on the supply chain and construction costs, and examined what these tariffs could mean for the Canadian dollar and inflationary pressures in our country. We also provided tips for what CHBA members can do to mitigate risks for their businesses, including adding a price escalation clause to contracts. To watch the webinar recording and read some frequently asked questions on this issue, visit
chba.ca/webinars.
In the webinar, we also shared the actions CHBA has taken with the federal government over the last few months to help insulate the home building industry from a trade war. These actions are ongoing.
CHBA has had several meetings with the Bank of Canada, officials from Infrastructure, Housing and Communities, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to advise them that, should retaliatory tariffs become necessary, construction products and materials should be exempt. That dialogue continues.
Advocating for no tariffs
CHBA has also been working with other national associations to collaborate on this issue and is engaged with our U.S. counterparts, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), which is also advocating for no tariffs on construction goods.
CHBA has also been extremely active in the media on this issue, informing key outlets such as The Globe and Mail, Global News, CBC, the Canadian Press and more on how tariffs impact the home building sector and housing in general.
Rest assured, CHBA National will continue to be your voice on crucial issues like this, advocating for your businesses’ needs in every way we possibly can. Now has never been a better time to get involved in the association, so that you can help us help you navigate economic uncertainty and advocate on your behalf. Read more on this from CHBA National President, Matt McCurrach, on page 8.
CHBA members can learn more about Trump’s tariffs threat and CHBA’s action at chba.ca/industry-issues. For the timely updates on this issue, as well as other housing issues, members are also encouraged to subscribe to CHBA’s Industry Highlights, our media aggregator with commentary that arrives in your inbox three times per week. Opt-in to the publication through your chba.ca website account or email communications@chba.ca.
