September 2, 2026

The Right Honourable Mark Carney, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

Dear Prime Minister:

Re: Maintaining the Federal Fuel Excise Tax Suspension Beyond September 7, 2026

Chambers of commerce and boards of trade across Alberta, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, representing businesses of every size and sector, urge the Government of Canada to maintain the temporary suspension of the federal fuel excise tax beyond its scheduled end date of September 7, 2026.

The temporary rate reduction to zero, applied to unleaded gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuels effective April 20, 2026, has provided meaningful, practical relief at a time of elevated fuel prices driven by global supply disruptions. For Canadian businesses and households, this measure has been particularly important. Canada’s geography, long supply corridors, and widely distributed communities mean that personal vehicles, trucking, rail-connected road haul, marine links, and aviation are essential to moving goods, serving customers, and accessing work, school, and essential services. Fuel costs therefore have a direct impact on competitiveness, operating margins, and the cost of living in every province and territory.

Reinstating the federal excise tax on September 8 would reverse this relief precisely when many businesses continue to face elevated input costs and consumers remain under pressure. Trucking, delivery, and logistics operators would see immediate cost increases that flow through national supply chains. Small and medium-sized enterprises already navigating workforce, regulatory, and interprovincial trade challenges would absorb higher transportation expenses. Resource, agriculture, construction, tourism, and aviation-dependent communities would feel the impact quickly. Households filling tanks for work, school, and essential travel would feel it at the pump.

Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade have long advocated policies that lower the cost of doing business and support affordability without compromising long-term fiscal responsibility. The current suspension aligns with those priorities.
We therefore call on the federal government to:

• Extend the suspension of the federal fuel excise tax on gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuels beyond September 7, 2026;
• Provide clarity as soon as possible so that businesses and consumers can plan accordingly; and
• Consider making this relief a permanent policy.

Maintaining this measure would deliver tangible support to the businesses and communities that form Canada’s economy while reinforcing the government’s stated focus on reducing costs for Canadians.

Sincerely,

Alberta Chambers of Commerce
Atlantic Chamber of Commerce
Bonnyville & District Chamber of Commerce
Burin Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
Cape Alliance Chamber of Commerce
Central & Northern Carleton Chamber of Commerce
Chaleur Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton
Chambre de commerce de Rivière-du-Portage
Chambre de commerce du Haut-Madawaska
Chambre de commerce Restigouche Chamber of Commerce
Chestermere Chamber of Commerce
Clarenville & Area Chamber of Commerce
Deer Island Chamber of Commerce
East Hants Chamber of Commerce
Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce
Fort Saskatchewan & Lamont County Regional Chamber of Commerce
Fredericton Chamber of Commerce
Grand Falls Valley Chamber of Commerce
Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce
Great Northern Chamber of Commerce
Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater Miramichi Chamber of Commerce
Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce
Greater Woodstock Chamber of Commerce
Halifax Chamber of Commerce
Hanna & District Chamber of Commerce
High River & District Chamber of Commerce
Kensington & Area Chamber of Commerce
Labrador North Chamber of Commerce
Labrador West Chamber of Commerce
Leduc Nisku Wetaskiwin Regional Chamber of Commerce
Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce
Lunenburg Board of Trade
Mount Pearl-Paradise Chamber of Commerce
Okotoks & District Chamber of Commerce
Peace River & District Chamber of Commerce
Pictou County Chamber of Commerce
Placentia Chamber of Commerce
Redwater & District Chamber of Commerce
Saint John Chamber of Commerce
Sheet Harbour & Area Chamber of Commerce
Shelburne & Area Chamber of Commerce
Sherwood Park & District Chamber of Commerce
Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce
South Queens Chamber of Commerce
South Shore Chamber of Commerce
St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce
St. Andrews Chamber of Commerce
St. Stephen Area Chamber of Commerce
Strait Area Chamber of Commerce
Sussex & District Chamber of Commerce
The Board of Trade
Whitecourt & District Chamber of Commerce
Yarmouth & Area Chamber of Commerce


cc:
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance
The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources