Published Apr 04, 2025 • Last updated 6 hours ago • 4 minute readMichelin is one of Nova Scotia’s largest employers with nearly 4,000 direct employees at its three manufacturing plants located in Bridgewater, Granton, northwest of New Glasgow in Pictou County, and Waterville in the Annapolis Valley. Photo by Ryan Taplin /THE CHRONICLE HERALD / FILEAs the Trump tariff train careens along the tracks, it’s almost impossible to guess or predict the next turn or stop.“This is a fluid situation,” a spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Intergovernmental Affairs Department said Friday in an emailed response to the question of how the tariffs announced by American President Donald Trump on Wednesday would affect the export of Michelin tires from this province to the U.S.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle content“We’re continuing to assess the actual impacts from the announcements (Wednesday), including the impact for tires,” the Intergovernmental Affairs Department said.Michelin is one of Nova Scotia’s largest employers with nearly 4,000 direct employees at its three manufacturing plants located in Bridgewater, Granton, northwest of New Glasgow in Pictou County, and Waterville in the Annapolis Valley. The company’s exports account for nearly one per cent of Nova Scotia’s provincial gross domestic product.Government statistics show that Nova Scotia exports to the U.S. amounted to $4.6 billion in 2024 and imports were $528.3 million. Tires were the top Nova Scotia export to the United States at $1.5 billion.Fish and seafood exports to the U.S. ranked second at $1.2 billion and forest products were third at $430.4 million.Speaking to reporters Thursday afternoon outside his Westville constituency office, Premier Tim Houston reiterated the importance of Michelin to the province’s economy and the uncertainty surrounding its tire exports.Article contentIn Trump’s announcement Wednesday that dozens of countries would face new tariffs on imports to the U.S., Canada escaped additional American levies.The Trump administration, however, had already twice this year announced the imposition of tariffs on Canadian goods being exported to the U.S.Trump said during his Wednesday announcement that a 25 per cent levy on all auto imports to the U.S. would come into effect the next morning, though the auto tariff also included a carve-out for vehicles and parts covered by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade deal (CUSMA), signed by Trump during his first term in office. Premier Tim Houston, Alexis Garcin, president and CEO of Michelin North America, Inc., and then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walk past rows and rows of tires to attend an expansion announcement at the Michelin plant in Bridgewater in March 2023. Photo by Tim Krochak /The Chronicle HeraldIn his response to Trump’s tariff announcement, Houston on Wednesday evening said in a statement that thousands of Nova Scotians will be affected by the U.S. president’s tariff program.“Our work to diversify markets will not change,” Houston said. “In fact, it will ramp up. And, of course, we will work with those who remain impacted on both an individual basis and larger-scale programming basis, as needed.”Article contentThe premier recognized the impact that the buildup to the tariff announcements has had on businesses and people.“This entire experience has been a huge drain on the mental health of Canadians, and thousands of Nova Scotians are exhausted from the stress of dealing with this uncertainty and instability,” he said.Houston said the push to mitigate the impacts of tariffs by diversifying markets will mean finding ways to put Nova Scotia and Canadian companies first as non-essential contracts with U.S. suppliers are reviewed and, in some cases, cancelled.“The message from this experience remains and we have heard it loud and clear – putting too many eggs in one basket is never a good idea,” Houston said. “This is why we will work hard to ensure that Nova Scotia becomes more and more self-reliant.“We will do this through developing our natural resources. We have tremendous resource wealth. By capitalizing on our natural resources, we can and must secure our province’s energy and economic security.”Houston said Nova Scotia will continue to lead the country on removing interprovincial trade barriers. Canada’s premiers met virtually with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday and collectively condemned the ongoing imposition of tariffs, which put thousands of good-paying jobs in both Canada and the U.S. at risk. Article contentCarney consulted with premiers on a response that maximizes impacts in the U.S., minimizes impacts on Canadians, and avoids escalating a trade crisis that Canada has worked hard to prevent. It was confirmed that Canada will ensure the proceeds of retaliatory tariffs will support workers and businesses affected by the U.S. tariffs. To support the provincial government’s efforts to become more self-reliant and to diversify markets, Houston will embark on a five-day trade mission to Denmark on Saturday.The premier intends to meet with new and existing partners to strengthen relationships and the meetings will cover a wide range of sectors and opportunities in health care, energy and seafood.“Nova Scotia has so much to offer our trade partners, and we can learn from them, too, as we look to innovate and become more self-reliant,” Houston said in a release.“We value our partnership with Denmark, and I look forward to promoting Nova Scotia at this critical time in our province’s growth.”Article contentAs part of the mission, the premier will meet with health-care leaders and attend WindEurope’s annual event which takes place in Copenhagen from April 8-10. Energy Minister Trevor Boudreau will also attend the WindEurope event, which is taking place at a time when Europe is looking to transform its energy system. Denmark is aiming to reach complete fossil-fuel-free electricity by 2035 with an interest and expertise in hydrogen and wind energy.Nova Scotia is currently focused on making the province more self-reliant by investing in critical minerals, wind resources and the seafood sector. In 2024, Nova Scotia’s exports to Denmark reached $29.4 million while the province’s imports from Denmark were valued at $24.4 millionDenmark is a member of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which eliminates tariffs on 98 per cent of Canadian exports to trade partners in the European Union,Delegates accompanying Houston and Boudreau on the Denmark trade mission are Nicole LaFosse Parker, chief of staff and general counsel, Tracey Taweel, executive deputy minister, and Mike McMurray, executive director with the Intergovernmental Affairs Department.Article content
Michelin exports to U.S. riding on uncertain tariff implications
