In response to potential tariffs by the United States, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador has teamed up with local industries to ease the burden tariffs may have on the province.
Representing the government in recent meetings were N.L. Premier Andrew Furey; Minister of Finance Siobhan Coady; Minister of Energy and Technology Andrew Parsons and Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Gerry Byrne. Representatives of the technology, construction, energy, manufacturing, mining sectors were present, alongside numerous labour organizations.
The fishery and aquaculture industries in the province were also strongly represented, with representatives of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW), the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA) and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) present at the roundtable discussion.
Furey noted a resounding conclusion of the meeting was the need for consumers, businesses and government to lean into a “team Newfoundland and Labrador approach,” in which shopping locally is made a priority going forward.
“We’re hoping to be able to present — not just to the group here, but to all Newfoundland and Labrador — a buy in Newfoundland and Labrador, buy in Canada campaign that will be easily applied to items that are made here in Newfoundland and Labrador, made locally,” said Furey.
“To think of an easy example, in the grocery aisles, stickers and signs that can be put up next to products that we can all be quite proud of. While this is an incredible moment of incredible anxiety and disruption, we shouldn’t let this moment pass, and this is stuff we should have been doing anyway.”
Furey also called on the federal government to craft a robust support system for workers in affected industries and the workers that are adjacent to said industries, using the province’s fishery as an example.
“We all love and care about our fishermen, but it’s not just about the harvesters, although it is about them. It’s about plant workers, it’s about the truckers, it’s about the people who supply ice, it’s about the community supports,” said Furey. “So, there was definitely unity across the country in that we are calling on the federal government to use the full power that they have — that some national governments don’t necessarily have — to meet the moment for Canadians.”
Going further, the Premier called for a “COVID-style relief package” to affected industries and their adjacent industry partners. In asking for this style of relief package, Furey noted the federal government has “levers that provincial governments don’t have.”
“They have monetary policy, they have different fiscal room, they have different fiscal instruments, different fiscal capacity than we do as a provincial government,” said Furey. “So, in order to meet this moment for workers and their families, they need to step up.”
Furey noted that tariffs on the province’s fishery resources, namely luxury goods like snow crab, could be especially punitive.
Given the potential challenges facing Newfoundland and Labrador’s historic economic driver, Furey pledged unwavering support for the industry. He also said the federal government could play a part in supply chain relief by supporting the Marine Atlantic ferries, which accounts for a majority of the goods shipped to and from the island portion of the province.
“Come hell or high water, we will be there to support harvesters, plant workers and anyone attached to that industry. It’s critical to the economy, it’s critical to the people of the province, it’s critical to our culture. We can’t take another assault on our fishing industry, and we’ll be there to support it,” said Furey. “One of the obvious measures would be enhanced EI supports… One of the solutions that came from this table about how we can combat any of the fiscal realities of this tariff is for the federal government to alleviate some of the pressures on Marine Atlantic.”
Furey also spoke on diversifying Newfoundland and Labrador’s trade partnerships, noting that nearly 100 per cent of aquaculture products and 90 per cent of snow crab from N.L. is currently shipped to the United States.
“It’s a big, beautiful world out there who are starved for our products,” said Furey. “These commodities are desired around the world — whether it’s crab, oil and gas, lumber — we can’t lose this moment now to diversify that portfolio. In some ways, the President has done us a favour in helping us look internally to say, ‘Should we be relying on one single party?’ These are incredible products that can be sold anywhere in the world — the Middle East, Asia — anywhere in the world.”
Speaking on challenges facing the industry, FFAW President Dwan Street stressed the importance of the federal government stepping in on behalf of largely seasonal workers in the fishing industry.
“We represent 14–15,000 workers in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, and I think that’s important, as well. The fishery is the driver of rural Newfoundland and Labrador. These are very good seasonal jobs that keep our rural communities going, and we’re going to need help,” said Street. “As the premier said, 90 per cent of our snow crab last year went to the United States. That’s not a volume that can be absorbed locally, and diversifying markets is not going to happen overnight.”
With the union’s earlier prospects of a rebounding crab market potentially out the window with the tariff question looming overhead, Street joined Furey in advocating for a more robust EI system to aid harvesters and plant workers in the coming year.
“We’re going to look for some supports. We need a robust EI system that’s going to help workers, because these are seasonal jobs,” said Street. “And it’s not only plant workers and harvesters. These are rural communities. It’s the grocery store owner, it’s the truck driver, it’s the bait depot. It’s a number of workers that are going to be affected, and there’s a trickle-down effect. So, we’re going to be looking for a very strong response by the federal government to reach out to those workers and support them.”
Following the larger meeting, Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne and Labour Minister Lisa Dempster hosted a fisheries roundtable that saw what might have been the largest and most diverse assembly in Newfoundland and Labrador’s fisheries history.
The sector demonstrated unity and a desire to work cooperatively. Specific actions will be taken immediately, including key discussions with the federal government around an early start to the snow crab season and financial supports and flexibilities for the sector,” the province said in a release.
Byrne also announced he was making nearly $6 million of provincial funding available to support seafood market diversification initiatives.
“We are taking swift action to diversify markets across our fisheries, forestry and agriculture sectors. The provincial government is investing nearly $6 million in market diversification initiatives and trade missions to Europe and Asia for the fisheries sector and we are dedicated to growing and maintaining strong markets for our forestry and agriculture products. We’ve seen unparalleled unity and resolve at recent industry roundtables and I’m confident that together we will secure a more prosperous and sustainable future for our world-class renewable resources,” Byrne explained.
