Press Releases

Standing at Northland Workforce Training Center, Kennedy Highlights How Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum, and Cross-Border Materials are Raising Costs for WNY Manufacturers

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Today Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26), joined by local employers and advocates at the Northland Workforce Training Center, warned that the escalating trade war between the United States and Canada is raising costs and creating uncertainty for Western New York’s manufacturing sector, one of the region’s largest employers. Manufacturing is the third-largest industry in the Buffalo Niagara region, employing tens of thousands of workers, and Northland trains the next generation of workers pursuing advanced manufacturing and energy careers.

“Manufacturing built this region, and the workers training right here at Northland are the reason Western New York’s manufacturing sector has a future,” said Congressman Kennedy. “But that future is at risk when the materials that cross the border during production get taxed each time. This is a Trump tax on Western New York manufacturers and the workers who rely on them for stable, good paying jobs in an increasingly unaffordable America. Canada is our closest ally and our neighbor, not our enemy, and it’s long past time to end this petty trade war before it costs us more manufacturing jobs.”

Western New York’s manufacturers are especially vulnerable to the cross-border trade war because materials used in manufacturing frequently cross the northern border multiple times during production, subjecting them to tariffs at every step. That two-way exposure shows up clearly in New York’s own trade numbers: the state exports $482 million in aluminum and aluminum articles and $254 million in iron and steel products to Canada each year, while importing $1.1 billion in aluminum and $586 million in copper and copper articles from Canada, according to the Consulate General of Canada in New York. Canada supplied roughly 60% of all U.S. unwrought aluminum imports in the first half of 2026^[1], while current tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper products can range up to 50% depending on their classification. On September 8th, Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on roughly $20 billion in U.S. goods took effect, covering steel, aluminum, agricultural equipment, appliances, electronics, and other products manufacturers rely on.

Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz said, “For more than 200 years, Canada has been our closest ally politically and one of our most important economic partners. Simply put, Canada is not our enemy and President Trump's trade war against our neighbor is hurting Western New York's economy. The free flow of goods across our shared border supports businesses and good-paying jobs throughout our region. Trump’s unnecessary tariffs are raising costs for local manufacturers, creating uncertainty and threatening the jobs families rely on to pay their bills and put food on the table. I join Congressman Kennedy in calling on the administration to end this dangerous trade war it started and restore stability to our relationship with Canada.”

"You cannot build a sound financial plan around uncertainty, and our local manufacturers are no different,” said Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick. “Western New York’s economic relationship with Canada is too important to be undermined by unpredictable trade policies. When our manufacturers struggle to plan, invest, and grow, the consequences are felt throughout Erie County’s economy. Our businesses and workers deserve stability, predictability, and a trade relationship that allows both sides of the border to prosper."

“Western New York’s economy has always been closely connected with our Canadian neighbors,” said New York State Senator April N.M. Baskin. “Our manufacturers should not have to navigate constant uncertainty to do their regular business across the border. When companies cannot reliably plan for their costs and supply chains, it puts jobs, businesses, and people’s livelihoods at risk. Our federal leaders should be helping us strengthen Western New York’s unique relationship with Canada, not undermining it with unpredictable trade policies.”

Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera said, “Western New York workers are the ones paying the price for the uncertainty and instability created by President Trump’s trade war. The men and women who build, manufacture, ship, and move goods across our region deserve the confidence that comes with stable economic policies and strong cross-border partnerships. Instead, they are facing disruptions to supply chains, rising costs, and growing uncertainty about the future. For generations, Western New York’s economy has been built on the close relationship we have with Canada. When trade policies create unnecessary barriers, it’s our workers, families, and local communities that feel the impact first. I thank Congressman Kennedy for highlighting the challenges facing Western New York workers and for continuing to fight for an economy that puts working families first.”

“Western New York manufacturers should not be forced to operate under a cloud of uncertainty created by President Trump’s disastrous trade policies,” said Erie County Legislator Lawrence Dupre. “Our region’s economy is deeply connected to Canada, and continued volatility in our trading relationship can raise costs, disrupt supply chains, and make it harder for businesses to plan, invest, and grow.”

“As Chair of the Erie County Legislature’s Economic Development Committee and a member of the Erie County Industrial Development Agency Board, I know that businesses need stability to invest and create jobs,” said Legislator Taisha St. Jean Tard “Our manufacturers should not have to navigate unnecessary uncertainty over the cost and availability of the materials they need to operate. The families who make up our local workforce deserve an economy where businesses can plan for the future, not one where they are left wondering what the next tariff will mean for their jobs, their paychecks, or the cost of living. Buffalo and Erie County have worked too hard to build a strong manufacturing economy to allow needless trade disputes to undermine that progress."

The stakes extend beyond heavy industry. New York and Canada are both key partners in the Northeast Semiconductor Corridor, and a single Quebec facility in Bromont packages and tests more than 80% of all semiconductors manufactured in the United States. This is a stark reminder that the advanced manufacturing careers Northland provides depend on the same cross-border supply chains now caught in the crosshairs of Trump’s tariff fight. Statewide, 816 Canadian-owned companies employ 88,700 New Yorkers, underscoring how deeply integrated the two economies have become.

Kennedy will continue pushing the administration to end the trade war with Canada and restore a stable, predictable trading relationship for Western New York’s manufacturers and the tens of thousands of workers whose jobs depend on it.

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^[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/canada-tariffs-deepen-north-america-210000214.html