How will a trade war affect the ‘CAT’ ferry?
The Yarmouth-to-Maine vessel just came off a successful 2024 season, carrying nearly 50,000 passengers.
U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to slap Canada with 25 percent tariffs on all goods, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is retaliating with matching tariffs on several products.
Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood says the CAT is extremely important to local businesses, and Nova Scotians.
“The American dollar is worth a lot here, so I believe they’ll still come. But that ferry is an American vessel, and that’s scary,” said Mayor Mood.
She says most of the food and services on the vessel are from Nova Scotia.
Mood says everyone needs to be on the same page, and it’s important to support local.
She’s planning a conversation with the CEO of Bay Ferries, the operators of the vessel.
“I think it will affect us going over, but it should lead to an increase in people coming here. This is not about Americans, this about the decision of one man,” said the Mayor, referring to President Trump.
The province subsidizes the ‘CAT’ ferry, and is signed on for two more years.
In a statement to our newsroom, a spokesperson for the provincial department of Public Works says it’s too early to speculate on how tariffs will impact travel to and from the United States.
They say their focus is on things they can control or act on, and protecting the interests of hard-working Nova Scotians and their families.
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