On the first point around accepting a tariff, I'll use more precise language. The exact question we asked was, “At what level of tariff would your business no longer be competitive?” We weren't asking about acceptability; we were just asking, based on how their business is functioning and operating, at what level of tariff it would be competitive. That's not an easy question for them to answer, so I'm happy to clarify that.
In the business environment, if this level of unpredictability continues over the medium and long term, and certainly that is a possibility, there are a few things. One, as I've referenced before, there needs to be a great deal more urgency under the policies that Canada does control. We are hopeful. There was a big push and a lot of noise around interprovincial trade barriers and mutual recognition in the first half of this year. We understand a lot of that work is still continuing bilaterally between the provinces. I haven't seen or heard as much urgently communicated about how they're rushing to knock down these barriers. We're hopeful that work continues on an accelerated basis.
As I've mentioned before in terms of unpredictability, there are ways around tax incentives, regulatory burden and red tape that we think could really help incentivize investment and help lower some of the risk in other areas where manufacturers will continue to see it on the trade front.
In broad strokes, the most important thing we can do is to try to reach a good deal—not any deal, but a good deal—with the U.S. both bilaterally and, of course, through the CUSMA process.
I know there have been some who have advocated a patient approach and letting the political process south of the border play out. I would imagine those are coming from sectors that are less directly affected than manufacturing has been. Some 60,000 jobs were lost between January and August in the manufacturing sector, and I expect we'll see an increase in that number here in the weeks ahead.
Our view is that we should do everything in our power that is reasonable and fair to not let that uncertainty persist, at least as it relates to the current tariffs and the CUSMA agreement for as long as you were speculating.