Wastewater treatment manufacturers resist buy-Canadian policies

Wastewater treatment manufacturers and distributors in Canada are not happy with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) resolution on “Fair Trade.” The FCM resolution encourages Canadian municipalities doing infrastructure projects to confine themselves to buying equipment and products made in Canada, or from countries that allow totally free access to Canadian products.

The FCM resolution was crafted in response to the “Buy American” provisions legislated in the United States.

The FCM resolution was intended to support Canadian manufacturers but in a survey, less than one in three member companies of the Ontario Pollution Control Equipment Association (OPCEA) supported the resolution.

OPCEA is comprised of companies that manufacture wastewater treatment equipment in Ontario, but also of companies that sell and distribute wastewater equipment from companies based in the U.S. and elsewhere.

In a statement OPCEA said the issue should be addressed at the federal and provincial level and not at the municipal level.