HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) -- A threatened trade war between Canada and the United States has been postponed for 30 days, thanks to an agreement between President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. That still means, however, that tariffs from both sides could be implemented a month from now. The effect that could have on the budgets of families throughout our region still has some officials, economists, and residents concerned.
The president's threatened tariffs would increase the cost of goods sent from Canada to the U.S. by 25%, with the exception of crude oil, which would face a 10% tariff. In retaliation, Canada had threatened to charge the U.S. 25% on goods it exports to our country.
Trump said that the reason for the measure was to get Canada to stop undocumented migrants and fentanyl from crossing the border.
The prospect of a trade war, and the possible rise of 25% for most goods, left residents of New York who spoke with PIX11 News wary of the president's decision.
"I don't think that's the way to fix the problem," said Richard Stainer, who was walking down Lenox Avenue.
Cheyenne Lindsay, a Harlem resident, said, "It's going to mess up with the economy, because you're just raising the tariff prices on them, and now they're doing it back to you."
Echoing those New Yorkers' concerns was the person elected to represent all residents of the Empire State, Gov. Kathy Hochul.
"I cannot overstate how bad this is for New York," she said at a news conference on Monday. She said that tariffs from the country that borders New York would cost a family of four in the state between $1,300 and $3,300 more per year.
The impact, however, would be more than just financial. It could also be a sanitary one.
New York City is in the process of replacing its metal wide-mesh street corner trash cans with newly-designed heavy metal and plastic so-called Better Bins. The split-top receptacles with heavy plastic inserts are popular with sanitation workers for the ease with which they can be emptied, and for their rat-preventive design.
About 5,000 of the new containers have been installed in parts of the five boroughs, but that's just a fraction of the 23,000 that have been ordered. As was first reported in Gothamist, the cost of that order could rise significantly due to tariffs. That's because the receptacles are manufactured in Quebec, Canada, by the Roy Metal Products company.
The new bins, which cost about $1,000 each, have been credited with helping to reduce rat complaints by 25% in the last year. However, increasing each bin's cost by 25% could slow down their citywide rollout.
"It's a bad thing that we cannot get them," said a Harlem resident who only gave her first name and last initial, Ivy M. "We should be able to get [the trash cans], right? To control the rats."
For now, the trash receptacles are still on course to be installed without an increase in price from their Canadian manufacturer. That situation could change if the trade war heats back up.
That point is not lost on the city's Department of Sanitation. Vincent Gragnani, a spokesperson for the agency, said, in a statement, "At this point, any tariff or associated change in the delivery schedule remains a hypothetical, but we are watching the situation closely."
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