Canadian taxi drivers are utilizing tariffs as leverage against Uber.

      Roberto Machado Noa via Getty Images

      Amid the ongoing trade conflict between the U.S. and Canada, numerous Canadians are actively choosing to purchase only locally produced goods and services. Taxi drivers in Canada's largest city are embracing this trend as a new strategy in their prolonged dispute with ridesharing platforms like Uber.

      As reported by the CBC, three taxi companies in Toronto and one Canadian rideshare service have submitted a letter urging city officials to prohibit U.S.-based ridesharing apps—namely Uber and Lyft—as part of Toronto’s “Buy Local, Buy Canadian” initiative in response to trade tariffs.

      The letter was endorsed by Beck Taxi, Co-op Cabs, Toronto 1 Taxi, and the Canadian alternative Hovr, highlighting that several local cab companies, such as Beck, already have their own ride-hailing applications and that “Canadian companies can readily take over to link Torontonians with their next ride home.”

      “Every taxi you encounter is a small independent, licensed business in this city, in this country, and I believe if we’re discussing supporting local Canadian businesses—especially small ones—this is the ideal moment,” stated Kristine Hubbard, operations manager at Beck. “Let’s stop backing these massive tech firms that are draining money from our country.”

      On the other hand, Uber Canada contends that shutting down its app would ultimately disadvantage local drivers and employees who, despite operating on an American platform or for an American company, are still Canadian citizens. According to Uber, it employs 500 people at its Canadian headquarters and supports 180,000 drivers and delivery personnel across the nation.

      “When you use the Uber app, you may pay $30, but the drivers receive $12, and the remainder leaves our country,” Hubbard argues.

      In Canada, there has been a marked effort to discourage spending on American products, services, and travel. Local grocery stores have started marking domestic items with large red maple leaves to facilitate buying Canadian. Last week, the LCBO, a government retailer and distributor for alcohol in Ontario, removed all U.S. products from its shelves. Travel from Canada to the U.S., both seen in February and future plans, has notably decreased, with Toronto-based Porter Airlines even reducing its marketing for flights to the south.

      Could avoiding Uber and Lyft be the next move in Canada’s economic struggle against the U.S.? Toronto's taxi drivers certainly hope so.

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