{"id":842571,"date":"2025-04-21T16:12:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T21:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/21\/montreal-unveils-support-measures-for-small-businesses-as-trump-outlines-tariff-policy\/"},"modified":"2025-04-21T16:12:02","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T21:12:02","slug":"montreal-unveils-support-measures-for-small-businesses-as-trump-outlines-tariff-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/21\/montreal-unveils-support-measures-for-small-businesses-as-trump-outlines-tariff-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Montreal unveils support measures for small businesses as Trump outlines tariff policy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Montreal<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

On Wednesday afternoon, the City of Montreal announced new measures to help small and medium-sized businesses deal with Trump’s tariffs. But opposition at Montreal’s city hall describes them as “recycled envelopes.”<\/p>\n

New measures are ‘recycled envelopes,’ says opposition at Montreal city hall<\/h2>\n
\n
\n

<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

\n

H\u00e9nia Ould-Hammou<\/a><\/span> \u00b7 <\/span>CBC News<\/p>\n

\u00b7 <\/span>

\n
\n

\"Lambert<\/p>

Ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement, Lambert & Fils, a Montreal company that makes high-end lighting fixtures, said it expected tariffs to have a ‘huge impact’ on sales. (Steve Rukavina\/CBC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

The City of Montreal announced\u00a0measures to help small and medium-sized businesses cope with the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, including access to a $36 million fund.<\/p>\n

“We made\u00a0it through the pandemic, so we know we’re able to get through difficult situations,” Luc Rabouin, new leader of Projet Montr\u00e9al and head\u00a0of economic development on the city’s\u00a0executive committee, told reporters\u00a0Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n

The news comes as Trump started outlining his tariff program Wednesday at 4 p.m.<\/a>\u00a0He announced “retaliatory” tariffs on imports coming from dozens of countries\u00a0\u2014 but the White House said there will be no more levies applied to Canada than those previously announced.<\/p>\n

Trump said however that\u00a0he is going ahead with a 25 per cent tariff on “all foreign-made” automobiles as of midnight Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Rabouin said the city’s business-support network,\u00a0PME MTL,\u00a0will provide $36 million to businesses that meet specific criteria and demonstrate that they will be affected by tariffs.<\/p>\n

He\u00a0also declared that businesses that have a loan with the network will have a six-month grace period on loans owned to the city’s fund.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“We give them time to breathe,” said Rabouin.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"Luc<\/p>

Luc Rabouin, new leader of Projet Montr\u00e9al and head\u00a0of economic development on the city’s\u00a0executive committee, announced measures on Wednesday afternoon to help small and medium-sized businesses deal with the impact of tariffs. (Steve Rukavina\/CBC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The city made the announcement at Lambert & Fils, a company in Montreal that makes high-end lighting fixtures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ahead of Trump’s announcement, Christine Charette, director of human resources and administration, said she expected\u00a0tariffs to have a “huge impact” on sales as American clients account for\u00a0almost 50 per cent them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Any help we can get just to get us through this kind of crisis phase is really important for us,” said Charette.<\/p>\n

“We just need some financial help just to get through the storm.”<\/p>\n

Rabouin also said that the city will prioritize local businesses whenever it can.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last month, Quebec’s Municipal Affairs Minister Andr\u00e9e Laforest announced<\/u><\/a> a new regulation allowing cities to impose penalties of up to 25 per cent on U.S. companies bidding on municipal contracts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

New measures ‘nothing but rehash,’ says opposition<\/h2>\n

Rabouin’s measures did not receive\u00a0unanimous approval in Montreal, particularly from the opposition at city hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“The measures announced by Projet Montr\u00e9al leader Luc Rabouin in response to the tariff attacks are nothing but rehash,” said Julien H\u00e9nault-Ratelle,\u00a0Ensemble Montr\u00e9al’s economic development spokesperson, in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“There’s nothing new under the sun. These are recycled envelopes, with no new money.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Rabouin, if the city sees that businesses need more money, it will provide more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He also encouraged entrepreneurs to contact one of PME MTL’s offices if they had any questions and consumers to support businesses by buying local.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR<\/h2>\n
\n
\n

<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

H\u00e9nia Ould-Hammou is a journalist with CBC Montreal. She previously completed an internship with La Presse after graduating from McGill University with a double major in political science and psychology. H\u00e9nia is interested in international and societal issues, soccer, politics and rap music. Send her an email at he***************<\/span>@*<\/span>bc.ca<\/span> <\/p>\n