Canadian Paramedic Chiefs Ask Their Government for Tariff Break
Editor’s Note: As of posting, the Trump Administration has paused country-specific tariffs for 90 days against all countries except China. All goods covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement are exempt from tariffs.
Worried about its U.S. equipment costs going up by 25% or more, the Paramedic Chiefs of Canada (PCC) association is asking the Canadian government to exempt ambulances and life-saving medical technology from the country’s proposed $125 billion counter-tariffs. These counter-tariffs, which would be paid by Canadian buyers on U.S. products imported to Canada, would be a direct response to the tariffs imposed on Canada by President Donald Trump.
“Although most EMS agencies in Canada use Canadian-made ambulances, their chassis and other major components are made in America,” said PCC President Kevin Smith. “If the proposed counter-tariffs go in place, this will substantially boost how much these EMS agencies have to pay for their ambulances. This increased financial burden would occur at a time when demand for services is already growing by 4% to 9% annually, and budgets are tight.” And again, it isn't just ambulance costs that would go up for Canadian EMS agencies, he noted. Much of the vital equipment they stock these Canadian ambulances with come from the United States
According to the PCC, more than 750 new ambulances will need to be purchased in Canada this year to maintain existing emergency response capabilities. If the cost of those ambulances goes up, the result will likely be fewer ambulances purchased. In turn, these reduced purchases will force Canadian EMS agencies to delay their planned fleet renewals. In a country where the weather is hard on equipment, having to rely on older ambulances could hurt response reliability and jeopardize patient care.
PCC contends that the proposed counter-tariffs could also reduce ambulance availability, while putting additional financial pressure on already-tight provincial and municipal healthcare budgets.
“Such increased costs could lead to longer emergency response times, delays in interfacility patient transfers, and challenges in maintaining Canada’s emergency preparedness,” Smith said. “The potential impact even extends beyond healthcare, threatening Canadian jobs in the ambulance manufacturing sector and weakening industry competitiveness.”
Unlike the United States, EMS in Canada is supported by taxpayers as a public service. This means that any counter-tariffs imposed on U.S.-sourced equipment imports will be paid for by the Canadian taxpayer, with the customs duties collected going to the Canadian government. However, in an ironic twist, the government may have to return these collected tariffs back to the EMS agencies, so they can afford to buy the ambulances they need.
Given this, it may be simpler for Canada's government to listen to PCC’s pleas and grant them the exemption they're seeking.
This is, of course, the conclusion that Kevin Smith hopes the Canadian government will come to. “After all, access to timely emergency care is a cornerstone of Canada’s healthcare system and is already being strained through increased 9-1-1 call volumes and funding challenges,” he said. “Any additional strain on paramedic services, including the financial impact through tariffs on ambulances, life-saving equipment and services, will only further weaken our country’s paramedic systems capacity and jeopardize patient outcomes. So, we urge the Canadian federal government to work with us to find a solution that protects public safety while maintaining a strong, stable paramedic service infrastructure."
