Several organizations involved in supporting Canadian companies manufacturing and distributing plumbing and heating products have cosigned a letter submitted to Chrystia Freeland, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs; Wilbur Ross, U.S. Secretary of Commerce; Kelly Craft, United States Ambassador to Canada; and David MacNaughton, Ambassador of Canada to the United States on the effects of recent tariffs placed on American and Canadian steel and aluminum products.
The letter expressed clear opposition to the tariffs from the undersigned organizations, which included HARDI; the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH); Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI); the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI); and the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).
"Our members often require materials that can only be sourced from trading partners in Canada or the United States," the letter states. "This trading relationship has, understandably, developed out of our existing rules-based trade agreement and provides the best products and services to consumers in the most efficient manner possible. These new tariffs will disrupt existing trade partnerships and increase prices by 10-25 percent. Price increases will impact thousands of suppliers and countless families in Canada and the United States."
In order to highlight the projected impact on costs, the letter also referenced a specific tariff provision levied by Canada on water heaters that may add a 10 percent additional cost on non-electric options, create an artificial incentive for fuel switching, pose problems for regulated utilities, and restrict consumer choice.
Canadian Water and Wastewater Association