‘Unjustified and unlawful': Canadian officials react to Trump's threat to double steel, aluminum tariffs

Hamilton Spectator

2 days ago

The federal minister tasked with Canada-U. S. trade relations said Ottawa has 'taken note' of U.S. President
Donald Trump's
latest threat to increase tariffs on steel and aluminum to 50 per cent
, but stopped short of announcing any formal retaliatory measures, at least for now.
Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister whose portfolio includes Canada-U. S. trade,
said in a statement on the social media platform X
Saturday
that the government will remain 'resolute in defending our workers and our communities.'
'We can give ourselves far more than the United States can take from us,' he wrote.
We can give ourselves far more than the United States can take from us. That's why this Monday, the Prime Minister will meet with Premiers in Saskatoon with one goal - build one Canadian economy out of thirteen, and get big, nation-building projects built faster. (2/3)
In a speech in Pennsylvania Friday, Trump said that the increased tariff figures would 'even further secure the steel industry in the United States.'
'Nobody's going to get around that,' Trump said.
Industry minister
Mélanie Joly, who formerly served as foreign minister, said
that Canada is 'fighting' the 'unjustified and unlawful tariffs with our own retaliatory actions, strong domestic support packages, and big moves to diversify our trade.'
President Donald Trump says he's going to double the tariff rate on steel to 50 per cent, a dramatic increase that could further push up prices for a metal used to make housing, autos and other goods. (AP Video / May 30, 2025)
She added that she plans to meet with steel and aluminum producers and workers over the coming days to 'advance' a plan in response to Trump's pledge.
Terry Sheehan, the Liberal MP who represents the steel-dependent riding of Sault Ste. Marie
, wrote that the government will 'not back down' in the face of tariffs that 'threaten to further damage the vital relationship between our two countries.'
Sault Ste. Marie's mayor, Matthew Shoemaker, said Trump
is 'trying to cripple our economy.'
Maninder Sidhu, the newly minted minister of international trade, wrote that
the government will 'move on terms … strategically, thoughtfully, and without delay.' Sidhu, a Brampton MP first elected in 2019, said that 'trade diversification' is his 'top priority.'
'Canada has what the world needs and we're ready to deliver,' Sidhu wrote.
Meanwhile, United Steelworkers, which represents over 220,000 workers in Canada,
said that the 50 per cent tariff would 'completely shut us out of the U.S. market'
and called on the government to 'move quickly to strengthen domestic demand.'
In March, U.S. President Donald Trump put 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to
'This isn't trade policy — it's a direct attack on Canadian industries and workers,' national director Marty Warren said of the president's recent announcement. 'Thousands of Canadian jobs are on the line and communities that rely on steel and aluminum are being put at risk. Canada needs to respond immediately and decisively to defend workers.'
The Canadian Steel Producers Association, a trade group, said in a statement
that the government must immediately 'fully reinstate retaliatory steel tariffs to match the American tariffs and to implement as quickly as possible new tariffs at our own borders to stop unfairly traded steel from entering Canada.'
In March, Trump put 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the United States. Trump used Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose steel and aluminum duties and said it will help bring manufacturing back to the United States.
Canada is the largest steel supplier to the United States, accounting for nearly 25 per cent of all imports in 2023. About a quarter of all steel used in America is imported.
Earlier this week, a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled Trump does not have the authority to wield tariffs, a pause that was subsequently lifted by a federal appeals court Thursday.
A Leger poll from earlier this month
found that nearly 70 per cent of Canadians are in favour of the federal government imposing dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. The poll also found that Canadians are reducing the number of U.S. products they're buying in stores as a result of the ongoing trade war.
With files from The Canadian Press