The University of Toronto’s School of Cities has released a new interactive mapping and visualization tool that measures and explores the impact of American tariffs on Canadian cities.
The detailed map, which can be accessed here, even provides data at the neighbourhood level.
The tool has been in the works since May 2025 and has been led by U of T professors Tara Vinodrai and Karen Chapple.
They say that the tools “illustrate the highly localized and uneven potential impacts of U.S. tariffs reflecting Canada’s underlying urban, regional, and sectoral specializations.”
The tool estimates that 10.4 per cent of employees living in Hamilton work in an industry that is directly exposed to U.S. tariffs.
Hamilton ranks as the 13th most exposed city out of the 41 cities examined by the tool in the percentage metric.
The most vulnerable cities according to that metric are Chilliwack, British Columbia (17.5 per cent of working residents), Drummondville, Quebec (17.3 per cent), Windsor, Ontario (16.4 per cent), Guelph, Ontario (15.5 per cent), and Greater Sudbury, Ontario (13.9 per cent).
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo is ranked sixth (13.8 per cent of working residents), Brantford is seventh (13.8 per cent), Toronto is 16th (9.4 per cent), and St. Catharines-Niagara is 19th (8.5 per cent).
Another statistic measure was based on people who actually work in Hamilton rather than based on residence.
For that metric, it is estimated that 12.8 per cent of those who work in Hamilton are in an industry that is directly exposed to U.S. tariffs.
Hamilton ranks 16th out of 41 for that statistic.
In terms of the number of businesses directly exposed to U.S. tariffs, it is estimated that 8.6 per cent are impacted.
A report released alongside the new tool says that “smaller and mid-sized cities – especially those that are resource-dependent or act as manufacturing hubs – face greater relative exposure.”
It adds that, while larger cities have the highest “absolute number” of jobs and businesses potentially affected, “the relative impact is much lower in these cities due to their diverse economies.”
Researchers add that their analysis underscores the need for at least three targeted policy responses.
First, they say that local economies need to be diversified to “reduce dependence on vulnerable sectors.”
Second, they say governments need to “support businesses in accessing new markets and supply chains.”
Third, they say that policymakers should “invest in workforce development to build resilience in the face of trade uncertainty.”
Data estimates were created by combining data from the Canadian Business Registry (Statistics Canada), Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Census of Population (Statistics Canada), Canadian International Merchandise Trade Web Application (Statistics Canada), Cargo Systems Messaging Service (United States Customs and Border Protection), Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (United States International Trade Commission ), International Trade and Development Division (Statistics Canada), U.S. Department of Commerce, and U.S. Census Bureau.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
