Following Langford Request, Federal Government Drops Tariffs for PPE

The federal government announced Wednesday that it is waiving tariffs on the importation of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other necessary medical equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, something Langford mayor Stewart Young appealed for in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month.

"By removing financial barriers, we’re making sure Canadians and Canadian businesses can access the critical medical goods they need during the COVID-19 crisis," said federal finance minister Bill Morneau, in a statement announcing the decision. "Our government remains focused on making sure workers have the protective equipment they need, that our supply chains continue to work well, and that Canadians remain safe and healthy."

Tariffs on some medical equipment had remained in place until the announcement, and were a non-recoverable cost for importers.

Young noted that an order of 252,000 masks would have cost his municipality $308,959 because it faced an 18 per cent tariff. He said that would have limited the number of supplies Langford and other cities could purchase.

"The federal and provincial governments should not be profiting via tariffs and taxes on essential items required in the fight against COVID‐19," he wrote, in the letter to Trudeau, dated April 17.