Area business owners have an opportunity to share their input on the kind of impact – if any – international tariffs and domestic trade barriers have had on their operations, and what they would like to see done to address or mitigate any challenges they face.
The Central Alberta Economic Resilience Taskforce (CAERT) – a coalition of 11 municipalities – has released a brief, six-page survey to gauge how potential U.S. and Chinese tariffs might affect all manner of businesses throughout the region.
The task force’s membership includes partners such as the towns of Didsbury, Innisfail, and Sundre, Clearwater and Kneehill counties, along with the cities of Red Deer and Airdrie.
This eight- to 10-minute survey is intended to help the task force better understand current economic conditions in the region and identify emerging challenges as well as shape regional policy recommendations and advocate for stronger economic supports and trade conditions.
The first questions include basic background details such as the business’s location as well as primary industry – for example retail, tourism, agricultural, manufacturing or energy – and the number of employees.
The survey then endeavours to assess the business owner’s future prospects with questions about overall confidence in their financial outlook over the next 12 months and whether trade uncertainty has affected their operations with opportunities to further elaborate on answers provided.
As well, the questionnaire asks if trade-related instability has caused the respondent to delay or reconsider investment plans, and what proportion of their supply chain inputs or materials come from either the U.S. or China, and what kinds of goods or services are most typically imported.
The survey also attempts to gauge how much respondents are exporting to either the U.S., China, or other global markets like Europe or Asia-Pacific and asks directly if the business owner’s exports have been impacted by international trade restrictions or tariffs.
There are also a few questions about whether respondents have encountered domestic trade barriers; and if so, what kinds – such as product standards, transport regulations and labour mobility or certification differences – as well as what steps they might have taken to try and adapt.
Questions then delve into what kinds of support would be of assistance to help address any trade-related challenges over the following year, from aid sourcing Alberta or Canadian suppliers to policy advocacy to reduce barriers as well as tariff relief or financial assistance and access to new trade partners or export markets.
Before finishing the survey, respondents are given the opportunity to accept or decline being contacted about the results or for future engagement opportunities.
All information provided is confidential and respondents choose whether to provide contact information.
Business owners who might be inclined to participate in the process have until 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29 to complete the survey.
PRINT:
Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EconomicResiliency to provide feedback.
ONLINE:
Click here to provide feedback.
