Cornwall City Council has approved a series of amendments to its Procurement of Goods and/or Services Policy amid U.S. tariffs. The updated policy introduces new strategies to prioritize Canadian suppliers while remaining compliant with trade agreements.
The changes, approved unanimously at the April 29 Council meeting, include a new definition of “Offending Jurisdiction”—areas that have caused cost uncertainty by failing to uphold trade obligations. Suppliers from such jurisdictions may now be disqualified from bidding on city contracts.
“Through a resolution of Council, Council directed administration to take a look at its procurement policy as it relates to the environment that we’re currently in with U.S. tariffs, to see if we could include anything in our policy that allowed the City to purchase from Canadian suppliers or suppliers that sold Canadian goods,” said Tracey Bailey, General Manager, Financial Services and Treasurer. “Not specifically, we cannot do that, but we have been able to include in our policy a few things that will allow us to concentrate more on having purchases that are not from, as an example, an offending jurisdiction.”
The updated policy defines “offending jurisdictions” as countries or regions that create cost uncertainty or fail to meet trade treaty obligations. Bailey said the changes will help prioritize non-offending jurisdictions while maintaining competition and trade compliance.
“We’ve also put in opportunities to purchase at certain values below the trade agreements where we can prefer Canadian businesses or businesses that supply Canadian goods,” Bailey added. “And also an opportunity to have invitational competitions if it is under $100,000.”
When asked about budget implications by Councillor Fred Ngoundjo, Bailey cautioned about potential cost pressures. “If we are paying for goods that are crossing the border and there’s additional tariffs on it, or if we are limiting our pool of suppliers, there could be an increase in cost in that way. We can’t say just now.”
The amendments follow a Council resolution earlier this year to explore ways to support Canadian businesses amid economic strain caused by U.S. tariffs. The updated policy incorporates flexibility in low-value purchases, collaborative procurement with other municipalities, and considerations for supplier diversity.
Council passed the motion without opposition, with Mayor Justin Towndale noting that the amendments stem from a broader strategy to strengthen Cornwall’s economic resilience.
