AED Urges Canada to Prioritize Free Trade

Associated Equipment Distributors called on Ottawa to make free and fair trade with the United States a top priority during its annual advocacy day.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in International Trade

AED Urges Canada to Prioritize Free Trade

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Associated Equipment Distributors, one of the largest Canada-U.S. trade associations, called on the Government of Canada in Ottawa to make free and fair trade with the United States a top priority. The call came after the two countries failed to reach a trade agreement in August.

Why it matters

Tariffs add cost at each border crossing, and those costs are paid by farmers, contractors, municipalities and Canadian families. Unstable prices and trade rules also cause customers to delay purchases.

AED members generate more than $100 billion in annual revenue in Canada and employ over 140,000 people there, across more than 7,200 North American locations. The source does not indicate how these figures have changed over prior periods.

The players

Associated Equipment Distributors (AED)

AED is one of the largest Canada-U.S. trade associations, representing equipment distributors that operate across North America.

Brian P. McGuire

McGuire is the president and chief executive officer of Associated Equipment Distributors, who wrote to U.S. governors urging a return to the bargaining table.

Brian Osterndorff

Osterndorff is a Canadian board member of Associated Equipment Distributors who presented the association's case to the Senate of Canada.

The details

AED is urging the Government of Canada to pursue exemptions and clarified tariff relief for the heavy equipment industry as part of the CUSMA discussions. AED's U.S. members met with more than 100 members of the U.S. House and Senate, and AED Canadian board member Brian Osterndorff presented the association's case to the Senate of Canada.

August: Canada and the United States failed to reach a trade agreement.
September: AED President and CEO Brian P. McGuire wrote to U.S. governors from states with significant exposure to Canadian trade.
November 4, 2026: AED called on Canada to make free and fair trade a priority in Ottawa during its annual advocacy day.

Market Landscape

The advocacy call is positioned within the ongoing CUSMA review, where Canadian industry groups are seeking sector-specific tariff exemptions rather than broad relief. AED's push for heavy equipment carve-outs reflects how trade associations are lobbying for targeted terms as the review continues.

Tariffs raise the cost of equipment, parts and services at each border crossing, and those costs are passed on to farmers, contractors, municipalities and Canadian households. Businesses that delay purchases because of unstable trade rules may face higher prices or slower access to equipment when conditions change.

The takeaway

Stable trade rules matter as much as tariff levels, because uncertainty alone leads customers to postpone purchases. Readers following cross-border trade can track how the CUSMA review addresses sector-specific exemptions like those requested for heavy equipment.