TORONTO, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The United Steelworkers union (USW) strongly condemns the U.S. President Donald Trump plan to impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports. These unjustified measures threaten thousands of Canadian jobs, disrupt supply chains and undermine decades of economic co-operation.
“Trump’s tariffs are a direct attack on workers and communities,” said Marty Warren, USW National Director for Canada. “We’ve been through this before and we know these kinds of reckless trade measures don’t work, and hurt workers, destabilize industries and create uncertainty across the economy on both sides of the border.”
The Canada-U.S. economy is deeply integrated, with $20 billion worth of steel traded between the two countries every year. Canada imports 39% of its steel from the U.S., while exporting 94% of its production there, and American manufacturers rely heavily on Canadian steel to run their operations. In 2024, Canada exported $15.9 billion worth of aluminum to the U.S., making it by far the largest supplier to U.S. industries, and imported $4.1 billion, supporting thousands of jobs across the border.
With no sign of an exemption for Canada, despite the reprieve secured a week ago, Warren is calling on the federal government to act quickly and forcefully with immediate counter-tariffs, enhanced worker and industry support and a firm commitment to use Canadian steel and aluminum in public infrastructure projects. Warren also warns that without safeguard measures, Canada could see an influx of cheap steel and aluminum from countries shut out of the U.S. market, further harming domestic industries and Canadian jobs.
“If these tariffs move forward, the government must be ready to hit back just as hard and be ready to face the consequences of this new chapter in the crisis on jobs,” Warren said. “For years, we’ve pushed for domestic procurement policies to ensure taxpayer dollars support Canadian jobs and industries. It’s a shame that this still hasn’t happened, but the government can’t afford to ignore it any longer.”
Dave McCall, USW International President, also denounced Trump’s decision, pointing to a very similar situation in 2018. “Canada is not the problem, and these tariffs will only hurt workers on both sides of the border,” he said. “Instead of reckless trade wars, we need policies that strengthen manufacturing and protect good jobs in both countries.”
The USW will continue to push all level of government to take decisive action, defend Canadian workers and ensure that these tariffs do not undermine the future of our steel and aluminum industries.
About the United Steelworkers union:
The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.
Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of the union’s strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions.
For more information, please contact:
Shannon Devine, USW Communications, sdevine@usw.ca, 416-938-4402
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/af529bb5-9977-4fbe-a561-af769d71367b
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