2025 will be marked by profound economic and commercial uncertainties, amplified by the United States' announcement to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian products, thus overturning the discussions surrounding the renegotiation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). While the possibility of new tariffs was indeed foreseen, their scale sent shockwaves through economic players and experts, fuelling concerns about their repercussions on North American trade relations, and more specifically on the states and provinces of the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes (SLGL) region. This challenge to relations hitherto based on free trade raises considerable uncertainty in terms of economic predictability, continuity of trade relations, reorientation of trade flows, and diversification of partners.
Given the historically close relations between Canada and the United States, which share a border recognized as one of the most secure and collaborative in the world, and considering the hyper-integration of the two nations, which account for C$3.6 billion in trade in goods and services every day, the consequences can be just as damaging on one side as on the other. The players in both countries have every interest in joining forces to meet these challenges together, in a rational and proactive way.
With opinions abound, how can we make the right judgments? What shocks are to be expected, and how should they be assessed? Which industries and investments should be prioritized? What opportunities can the SLGL corridor draw from this situation? Considering these questions, how can data science help us make informed decisions?
To answer this, we invite you to a unique day combining expert panels and collaborative working groups.
Bringing together decision-makers, researchers, and multidisciplinary experts from the SLGL region, we will explore concrete solutions based on data science, using GVCdtLAB tools to ground our thinking and turn uncertainty into opportunity, identifying pragmatic and sustainable strategies to overcome the challenges ahead.
Join us for this day of work and collaboration to shape the future of transport and trade in the SLGL region in the face of these global upheavals.
Places are limited - This event will be held in English.
For more information, please contact Sarah Elimam (Sarah.Elimam@cirano.qc.ca)
With the support of National Trade Corridors Fund
