The mayors of Canada's municipalities on Saturday passed a resolution which would block U. S. companies from bidding on contracts in Canadian cities, in a bid to counter the "Buy American" policy.
The resolution was passed at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) conference in Whistler, British Columbia, by a narrow vote of 189-175, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.
The resolution says the federation should support cities that adopt policies that allow them to buy only from companies whose home countries do not impose trade restrictions against Canadian goods.
"Today, Canada's cities and communities joined the federal and provincial governments in a common front to try and stop American protectionism," Jean Perrault, FCM president and mayor of Sherbrooke, Que., said in a statement.
"This U.S. protectionist policy is hurting Canadian firms, costing Canadian jobs and damaging Canadian efforts to grow our economy in the midst of a worldwide recession," Perrault said.
"We stand united in the belief that fair trade and an even playing field are in the best interest of our country, our communities and our citizens."
To give Ottawa time to lobby the U. S. for a change, the resolution would not take effect for four months.
Susan Fennell, the mayor of Brampton, Ontario, stressed the resolution is a message that Canadian municipalities are concerned across the country.
Some Canadian companies have complained they are already being affected by the "Buy American" policy, which was passed earlier this year in the U. S. as a provision of the stimulus package.
It stipulates that U.S. iron, steel and other manufactured goods should be given priority for use in public works and building projects funded with recovery money.
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