Ahead of a trip to Washington, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Big City Mayors’ Caucus met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly today (Thurs) to talk about the U.S. trade discussions, with local leaders emphasizing that any countermeasures affecting municipalities must be cost-neutral and developed in consultation with FCM.

A news release from the FCM says a group of Canada’s municipal leaders is heading to Washington to advocate for no tariffs, along with federal and provincial partners. Premier Scott Moe said earlier this week, he would be in Washington and then later, a quick visit in Mexico.

The FCM says they will join the Council of the Federation delegation, which is comprised of Canada’s Premiers, February 11th and 12th to underscore the essential role of local leaders in ensuring Canada’s trade response reflects the priorities of communities nationwide. The FCM will also meet with representatives of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Phoenix, Arizona February 20th to 23rd and then back to Washington, D.C. in March for more discussions with the U.S. National League of Cities.