Trevor Tombe is a University of Calgary economist and Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy at The School of Public Policy, widely cited in Canada for his analysis of the U.S.-Canada trade war, tariffs, jobs, GDP, and the broader economic policy choices facing governments and businesses. ProSpeakers.com books him for conferences, AGMs, and executive briefings across Canada, in person or virtually, at no additional charge to you.
For event planners, association executives, corporate teams, chambers of commerce, and financial services or manufacturing groups that need a clear economic outlook, Trevor Tombe brings practical insight on international trade, macroeconomics, fiscal federalism, and public finances—issues that directly shape planning and decision-making as tariff shocks and cross-border trade risks continue to affect Canadian organizations.
Key Takeaways
- Trevor Tombe is a University of Calgary economics professor and Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy at The School of Public Policy. He is one of the most frequently cited Canadian economists on the U.S. trade war, quoted by CBC, BNN Bloomberg and The Canadian Press in the past week alone.
- On 22 August 2026, the United States imposed 50 per cent tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods after trade talks collapsed. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Canada will match them dollar for dollar starting 8 September.
- Tombe’s own input-output analysis puts roughly 87,000 Canadian jobs at risk if the tariffs hold, with Ontario, Québec and British Columbia carrying most of the exposure.
- Typical fee band for Tombe is $10,000–$15,000 CAD, plus travel. He delivers a 45-minute keynote, panel appearances, fireside chats and executive briefings, in person or virtually.
- ProSpeakers.com matches speakers to your event goal at no additional charge to you. Our fee comes from the speaker, not from your budget.
If you are planning a fall conference, an AGM or a board retreat, your audience arrives with a question you cannot answer from the stage yourself: what does this actually mean for us?
That question got sharper over the past weekend. Below is what is happening, why Tombe is the economist Canadian newsrooms keep calling, and how to get him in front of your audience while the story is still live.
What Is Actually Happening in the Canada–U.S. Trade War Right Now?
The United States imposed 50 per cent tariffs on a broad list of Canadian goods on 22 August 2026, after three days of talks in Washington ended without a deal. The list covers cement, machinery, electronics, plastics, textiles, alcohol, honey and building materials — even hockey sticks. Two details matter for planners trying to gauge how long this stays topical: per the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the tariffs apply even to CUSMA-compliant goods, and they carry no expiry date.
Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended negotiations and confirmed Canada will match the measures dollar for dollar beginning 8 September. CUSMA has meanwhile moved into annual reviews after the 1 July extension deadline passed without agreement.
The macroeconomic hit is real but contained. BMO expects the new tariffs to take about half a percentage point off Canada’s growth as business investment and confidence soften. The labour market picture is where it gets uncomfortable, and that is where Tombe’s work has driven the national conversation.
Why Is Trevor Tombe the Economist Everyone Is Quoting?
Because he did the arithmetic first, and he did it publicly. Tombe spent hours working through Statistics Canada’s input-output tables to estimate where the damage actually lands. According to BNN Bloomberg, his analysis puts roughly 52,000 jobs directly at risk, with knock-on effects on suppliers and service providers putting another 35,000 in play — about 87,000 in total. The province-level breakdown he published gives Ontario 36,100, Québec 18,300 and B.C. 11,200, concentrated in machinery, electronics, plastics and rubber.
His framing of the mechanism is the part audiences remember: if the tariffs hold, <a href=”https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/tariffs/2026/08/24/these-provinces-could-see-the-most-job-losses-with-new-us-tariffs-report/”>”Americans will be purchasing fewer of the tariff items from Canadian producers”</a>, which means less output and fewer jobs at the firms doing the exporting. Less obvious, and more useful to a room full of executives: the pain does not arrive all at once. Tombe has been consistent that it plays out over months, and that it reaches provinces the tariffs were never aimed at.
He also does not overstate. In his 21 August column for The Hub, he pegged the GDP effect at a couple of tenths of a percentage point while flagging the labour market consequences as the larger story — and made the point that trade disruption now looks like a recurring feature of Canada’s economy rather than a single event to be waited out. That combination of restraint and specificity is why he gets booked, and why he gets quoted.
Trevor Tombe, Professor of Economics
Tombe is a Professor in the University of Calgary’s Department of Economics and Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy at The School of Public Policy. He is co-director of Finances of the Nation, a Fellow at the Public Policy Forum and a Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Toronto and an undergraduate finance degree from Simon Fraser University.
He has published widely in leading economics journals, co-authored the textbooks Public Finance in Canada and Macroeconomics, and co-edited Fiscal Federalism in Canada. He served on the Bank of Canada’s external review panel evaluating its pandemic response, and he is a regular contributor to The Hub. Governments at both the federal and provincial level ask for his advice on fiscal and economic questions.
Why Tombe resonates in 2026. Most economists booked for conferences this year will give your audience a forecast. Tombe gives them a map. His speciality is showing which sectors, which provinces and which supply chains absorb a shock — the level of detail a CFO or an association board can actually plan around. In a year where tariff policy changes week to week, an economist who can explain the transmission mechanism is more valuable than one who can only quote a number.
What he speaks about:
- International trade and the global economy — tariffs, global value chains, and how shifts abroad reach domestic industries
- Macroeconomics and productivity — GDP growth, inflation, labour markets, and Canada’s productivity problem
- Fiscal federalism — federal-provincial frameworks, equalisation and how governments align budgets with growth
- Public finances and debt sustainability — deficits, taxation and long-term fiscal resilience
Best for: association conferences and AGMs, financial services and insurance events, manufacturing and export-facing industry groups, chambers of commerce, board and executive briefings, and economic outlook sessions. He works well as a keynote and equally well as a panellist or fireside chat guest.
Format: typically a 45-minute keynote with an optional 15-minute Q&A. He travels from Calgary (YYC) and is available for virtual events.
See Trevor Tombe’s full bio on ProSpeakers.com →
What Does It Cost to Book Trevor Tombe?
Tombe’s fees generally fall in the $10,000–$15,000 CAD range. The final number depends on your date, format, location, audience size and how much customisation you need. Travel and accommodation are budgeted separately from the speaking fee.
Fees shift with demand, and demand for economists who can speak credibly on tariffs is high right now. Request a quote with your date and we will come back with a firm number. There is no additional charge for ProSpeakers.com‘s services — our fee comes from the speaker, not from you.
How Far in Advance Should You Book an Economist for a Trade War Session?
Book as early as you can, but do not assume a short timeline rules you out. Academics with teaching loads have less flexible calendars than full-time professional speakers, so three to six months is a comfortable window for a fall or winter event. That said, tight timelines are something we handle regularly, and virtual formats open up dates that in-person travel would close.
One practical note specific to this topic: content on an active trade dispute should be confirmed late, not early. Tombe customises to current data, so the substance of a January keynote will be built in January, not at signing.
Which Other Economists Does ProSpeakers.com Represent?
If Tombe’s dates are gone, or if your audience needs a different angle, we represent several economists who cover adjacent ground:
- Don Drummond — expert on the economy and public policy issues, with deep experience in federal fiscal policy and bank economics.
- Mike Moffatt — focused on sustainable economic growth, housing and industrial policy.
- Craig Alexander — economist and financial consultant, strong on outlook sessions for financial services audiences.
You can browse the full roster by theme under Business and Economy, Future Trends and Global Economy and Current Events and Political.
Tell us your audience and your goal, and we will tell you honestly which of them fits — including when the answer is none of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Trevor Tombe partisan? No. He is an academic economist who advises governments across the political spectrum, contributes to public discussions through regular op-eds and eds articles and media, and is known for evidence-based analysis rather than advocacy. The Public Policy Forum has described him as an economic truth-teller. That neutrality is part of why he works for association and corporate audiences with mixed politics in the room.
Can he tailor the content to our industry? Yes, and he does it routinely. Tombe works with organisers ahead of the event to build the session around current data relevant to your sector, region or policy priorities. Given that his tariff analysis is already broken down by industry and province, a manufacturing association in Ontario and a forestry group in B.C. would get materially different sessions. His public-facing work, including regular op eds, op eds articles and a policy paper, often helps students, researchers and general audiences understand complex economic data more clearly.
Will the trade war still be relevant by our event date? Based on Tombe’s own assessment, yes. He has argued that trade disruption is likely to be a recurring challenge for Canada’s economy rather than a single episode, and CUSMA is now in annual review cycles. The specifics will change; the strategic question for Canadian businesses will not.
Is he available for virtual events? Yes. Tombe delivers virtual keynotes, panels and executive briefings, which is often the fastest route to securing a date on short notice.
How worried should our members actually be? That depends entirely on your sector, and it is exactly the question Tombe is good at answering. For context, CBC News reported that in a CFIB survey of small and medium-sized business owners, 35 per cent expected revenue to fall by at least half because of the tariffs and 78 per cent said the measures would make their products uncompetitive in the U.S. market. Aggregate GDP numbers hide that kind of variation, which is why sector-level analysis is worth putting on your programme.
How do we check his availability?Send us your date, audience and budget or call 416.420.4525. We typically respond within hours, not days.
We respond within hours, and we will tell you straight away whether your date is workable.
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