Canadian steel producers concern at Trump’s tariff threat

(Posted on 10/02/25)

Canadian Steel Producers Association President and CEO, Catherine Cobden has released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced plans to introduce 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum on all imports into the United States:

"We are deeply concerned that US President Donald Trump is again threatening more tariffs on Canada, this time directly targeting the steel and aluminum sectors. While the details remain unclear, we will analyze the President's order once it is released and have more to say at that time.

"When President Trump implemented tariffs on Canadian steel in 2018, we saw massive disruptions and harm on both sides of the border, hurting both America and Canada.

"The Canada - US economy is so highly integrated; with $20B in trade of steel between our two countries. 40% of Canada's steel imports comes from the United States.

"This at a time when Canada has worked tremendously hard to align our trade policy with the United States to protect both markets from unfair trade that threaten jobs and communities. For example, Canada implemented its own Section 53 tariffs on Chinese steel imports and a monitoring system of all imports to ensure it can identify the country of melt and pour.

"While the target of Canadian steel and aluminum is completely baseless and unwarranted, we must retaliate immediately.

"We are urgently demanding that the Government of Canada act again with resolve and purpose to combat this threat and ensure any measure taken against our sector is met with retaliatory measures and action to offset the devastating impacts tariffs would have on our sector and our workers."

The Canadian Steel Producers Association is the national voice of Canada's primary steel and the pipe and tube industry, dedicated to ensuring a competitive and sustainable business environment for its members and supply chain stakeholders. Canadian steel producers are integral to Canada's economy and a vital supplier to many segments of North American industry, including the automotive, energy, construction, and transportation sectors.

By contrast, in January, Kevin Dempsey, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute, released a statement on the memorandum issued by President Trump regarding his America First trade Polocy: “We welcome President Trump’s commitment to treating trade policy as a critical component to national security and to pursuing a robust and reinvigorated trade policy agenda to tackle many of the issues that are priorities for the American steel industry. These include: addressing foreign unfair trade practices and currency manipulation, ensuring full enforcement of our existing trade agreements and levelling the playing field by strengthening our antidumping and countervailing duty laws, including addressing the growing problem of transnational subsidies. Urgent action is needed to respond to these challenges not only from China but also from many other countries around the world.”