U of T Maps Tariff Vulnerability Across Canada
An interactive map measures how exposed individual Canadian communities are to current tariff policies, down to small towns.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in International Trade
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A University of Toronto geography and urban planning team has published an interactive map that measures tariff vulnerability at the community level across Canada. The map is searchable by date and sector and draws on data from Statistics Canada, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Why it matters
Most tariffs target manufactured goods, and Ontario and Quebec sit at the core of Canada's industrial heartland, so exposure is concentrated there. Because the map shows where employees live as well as where plants are located, it lets readers see how tariff effects reach households and local economies beyond factory sites.
The map measures exposure against current tariff policies using Statistics Canada, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Census Bureau data, covering communities from Hanley, Sask. (population 540) to Westmount in Montreal. It does not yet capture how individual businesses have changed their operations after tariff announcements.
The players
University of Toronto
A public research university in Toronto, Ontario, whose geography and urban planning team built the tariff vulnerability map.
Karen Chapple
Director of the University of Toronto's School of Cities and a leading researcher on urban economies and planning.
Tara Vinodrai
Academic who directs the University of Toronto's Master of Urban Innovation program and co-leads the tariff mapping project.
The details
Led by Karen Chapple, director of the School of Cities, and co-led by Tara Vinodrai, who directs U of T's Master of Urban Innovation program, the project began in May 2025. The map highlights aluminum-related vulnerability in areas such as Chicoutimi and Dolbeau-Mistassini, and shows Northern Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario as less tariff-vulnerable regions.
Timeline
May 2025: The University of Toronto team begins building the tariff vulnerability map.
Past two years: U.S. tariff announcements on Canadian goods take effect.
Market Dynamics
The map shows how U.S. tariff announcements on Canadian goods over the past two years translate into exposure across Canadian communities rather than only national trade totals. It places the tariff debate at the level of local employment and industrial regions, where the effects of trade policy are felt most directly.
Households and workers in tariff-exposed communities, particularly in Ontario and Quebec, may see the effects of trade policy in local jobs and plant decisions. Readers with holdings in exposed sectors can use the map's sector search to gauge how tariff policy may affect their regional economy.
The takeaway
Tariff exposure depends on where people live and work, not only on where goods are made. Looking at community-level data can reveal risks that national trade figures hide.
Further reading
Explore more reporting on International Trade and how tariff policy shapes Canadian industry.
Source note: This article includes information reported by SooToday.
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