By Dylan Marks
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) has pledged to prioritize purchasing from Canadian suppliers following the introduction of tariffs on American goods and services on March 4.
TMU announced its plan on March 5 in a press release, stating it would take a stand against the tariffs imposed by the United States (U.S.) by “prioritizing Canadian business in procurement wherever possible.”
In the release, Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities Nolan Quinn stated, “In the face of President Trump’s tariffs, we all need to pull together to protect Ontario and support our workers, businesses and communities.”
In line with the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act, which aims to help Ontario businesses grow by ensuring organizations choose them to supply goods and services below a specific price, TMU already utilizes Ontario-based businesses for goods and services under $120,000.
As a result of this new initiative, the university will strive to broaden this approach and prioritize Ontario and Canadian suppliers for all procurement activities wherever possible, as stated in the press release.
In an interview with The Eyeopener, TMU president and vice-chancellor Mohamed Lachemi explained how the university will commit to sourcing a wide range of purchases from Canadian suppliers.
“[The pledge] will apply to all goods purchased by TMU from the U.S.,” said Lachemi. “[TMU] also purchases services such as eye sensors and software from U.S. vendors, the university is expanding efforts to further prioritize both Ontario and Canadian suppliers for all other procurement activities.”
The media release also stated that TMU is actively reviewing its purchasing practices to identify opportunities to shift spending toward Canadian businesses while aiming to reduce the university’s reliance on U.S. imports. Additionally, the university has instructed staff in charge of procurement to identify opportunities to redirect spending.
In an emailed statement to The Eye, TMU chief financial officer Joanne McKee said TMU already sources most of its supplies from Canadian vendors, although it is still unclear how the tariffs will affect the university’s shift to prioritizing Canadian suppliers.
“The majority of spending already involves Canadian suppliers in line with existing public-sector procurement legislation at both the provincial and federal levels,” said McKee. “While it is too early to know the impact of tariffs or as a result of this transition to prioritize Canadian suppliers, we will be working to minimize any impact and are hopeful that shifting towards Canadian purchases will support this overall.”
Lachemi added that TMU intends to continue prioritizing the procurement of Canadian goods for the foreseeable future amid the looming threat of U.S. tariffs.
“I think, without giving a timing, I can tell you we continue to proceed with this plan as tariffs continue to be a threat to us through Canada,” said Lachemi.
Following this announcement, TMU’s DMZ—a global startup incubator—has launched a database of Canadian tech companies, Oh Canada’s Tech Directory, aiming to simplify the procurement of Canadian services.
According to their website, their goal is to, “simplify the procurement for businesses, policymakers and ecosystem builders by connecting them to companies with Canadian ownership, headquarters and intellectual property.”
Additionally, an initiative led by TMU’s Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, Buy Canadian Cyber, has been launched to provide a specialized directory of Canadian cybersecurity suppliers. This directory is intended to make it easier for businesses and governments to locate cybersecurity solutions from domestic companies.
The result of the strategy to prioritize Canadian suppliers is expected to fluctuate based on the availability and pricing of domestic alternatives that TMU is shifting to. Some sectors may see higher costs due to limited local options, while others could benefit from stable or lower prices where Canadian production is competitive.
“At this time, we are continuing to monitor what any possible impact might be related to the tariffs and where challenges might arise in prioritizing Canadian purchases,” explained McKee.
Lachemi added that this shift is crucial to the school and that supporting Canadian businesses is very important to TMU.
“However feasible, we are doing this by reviewing purchasing practices and exploring opportunities to shift spending towards Ontario and Canadian businesses,” Lachemi said.
Leave a Reply