Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is backing Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to walk away from a trade deal with the United States, saying protecting Canadian jobs and businesses must take priority over reaching an agreement at any cost.

Brown said Brampton has too much at stake to accept a deal that leaves the city’s auto sector and manufacturing economy exposed to U.S. tariffs.

“Brampton knows better than almost anyone what’s at stake if we get this wrong,” Brown said in a statement following the latest trade negotiations between Canada and the U.S.

The mayor pointed to the ongoing shutdown of the Stellantis Assembly Plant in Brampton as an example of the potential consequences for local workers.

Nearly 3,000 workers in Brampton remain out of work after the plant shut down in December 2023, with Stellantis reportedly considering whether to close and sell the facility.

Brown said the impact of trade tensions extends well beyond the assembly plant, noting Brampton has an integrated manufacturing economy that includes auto parts, steel, aluminum, logistics and advanced manufacturing.

Those businesses are also vulnerable to tariffs and uncertainty surrounding Canada-U.S. trade.

“When jobs move south, plants go idle, and local families pay the price,” Brown said.

The mayor said he supports the federal government’s decision not to accept what he characterized as a bad deal and called for an agreement that removes tariffs affecting vehicles, auto parts, steel and aluminum.

“Anything less is a deal Brampton and Canada cannot afford,” he said.

Brown’s comments come as Canada continues negotiations with the United States over trade, with the auto sector among the industries facing significant uncertainty.

The mayor said Brampton supports the federal government’s “Team Canada” approach to the negotiations, arguing that all levels of government, businesses and Canadians need to work together to protect the country’s economic interests.

“No deal is better than a bad deal,” Brown said.

Brampton has also taken steps to address the potential local impact of the trade dispute.

Earlier this year, the city established the Mayor’s Tariff Task Force to examine the impact of U.S. tariffs on local industries and help strengthen Brampton’s economic resilience.

The city also launched a Made in Canada procurement policy that prioritizes Canadian goods and services and restricts U.S.-owned companies from City contracts while American tariffs remain in place.

Brown said those measures are part of Brampton’s effort to support local businesses and protect jobs as the trade dispute continues.

“We built this country’s auto sector and the supply chains that depend on it over 80 years, and we are not signing it away or backing down,” Brown said.


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