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CBC
27 minutes ago
- CBC
Donald Trump fires senior labour official after weak jobs report
U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the firing of Erika McEntarfer, the head of the Bureau of Labour Statistics, on Friday. This comes after a report from the department highlighted job numbers were lower than expected for the month of July.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Quebec's aluminum processors press Ottawa for support as trade talks continue
The head of aluminum products and processing group AluQuébec is urging Ottawa to provide immediate financial assistance to the industry after Canada failed to reach a trade deal by U.S. President Donald Trump's Friday deadline. The two countries appear far from reaching a pact. On Thursday night, Mr. Trump followed through with his threat of hiking the tariff on Canadian goods that are not covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada free-trade agreement to 35 per cent from 25 per cent if a deal was not reached by Aug. 1. U.S. levies on the aluminum sector, which were imposed in March, and doubled to 50 per cent in June, remain in place. Mr. Carney had cautioned earlier this week that the timeline to reach an agreement could be pushed out, and that negotiations would continue until Canada got the best deal for Canadians. With never-ending tariff drama, the Canadian economy limps along Charlotte Laramée, president of AluQuébec, which represents small- and medium-sized aluminum products companies, said Friday she understands why Canada has not yet reached an agreement with the U.S. 'We know that the Government of Canada wants to have the best deal possible, even if it will take longer,' said Ms. Laramée in an interview. 'But the longer it is, the more difficult it is for the companies.' There are more than 1,700 small- and medium-sized enterprises in Quebec that process aluminum, employing just under 30,000 people. While primary aluminum producers have been able to redirect a significant portion of their production to Europe, SMEs aren't in a position to do that, said Ms. Laramée. That's because they are paying a higher price for the aluminum sourced in North America compared with their competition in Europe. Ms. Laramée is asking Ottawa to provide subsidies, forgivable loans and to introduce programs to help SMEs become more productive. The federal government has made loans available to large aluminum companies affected by the trade war through its Large Enterprise Tariff Loan facility. To qualify, companies must have at least $300-million in annual revenue, a threshold that excludes small- and medium-sized companies. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly's office did not respond to a request for comment. John Rapley: Beneath the bluster, the U.S. is losing the trade war As Canada's SMEs outline the difficulties they're facing as a result of the aluminum tariffs, Canada's biggest primary producer, Rio Tinto PLC, is playing down the impact. In a statement earlier this week, London-based Rio said that while it had incurred US$321-million in costs on its aluminum exports to the U.S., the higher price of the commodity was a major offset. In a conference call with analysts on Wednesday, chief executive officer Jakob Stausholm also said it wasn't his place to kick up a stink over the levies. 'Do we like 50-per-cent tariffs on aluminum? Not really. But it's not for us to make much statements around that,' he said. Rio Tinto declined requests for an interview. While U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated earlier this week that the U.S. is willing to work with Canada on the aluminum tariffs, Mr. Trump has appeared to be less flexible. 'Bessent is showing the carrot and Trump is showing the stick,' George Heppel, VP, commodities research with BMO Capital Markets, said in an interview. A sensible solution would be for the U.S. to reduce the aluminum tariff on Canada to 20 per cent, said Mr. Heppel. That would still incent new investment in U.S. smelting capacity, but wouldn't be high enough to overly punish the U.S. manufacturing sector. The U.S. leans heavily on Canada to satisfy its aluminum demand for industries, including aerospace, defence, construction and automotive. Canadian smelters last year sent approximately 2.9 million tonnes of primary aluminum to U.S. customers, accounting for 70 per cent of American imports. Mr. Heppel doesn't see a truce between Canada and the U.S. occurring without major commitments made by Ottawa. 'For the Trump administration to publicly roll back aluminum tariffs in a big way, there would have to be the right story behind it, and it would have to involve some sort of concession from the Canadian side,' he said. One of Mr. Trump's biggest asks has been for foreign companies to increase their smelting capacity in the U.S. Since the aluminum tariffs were first implemented in March, Dubai-based Emirates Global Aluminium has been one of the few to commit to building a new smelter in the U.S. Mr. Heppel said that aluminum companies would face steep competition for hydro contacts with extremely deep pocketed technology companies such as Microsoft that are building AI data centres, a factor that significantly dampens the investment case. The Washington-based Aluminum Association reported this week that aluminum demand in the United States and Canada, representing shipments by domestic producers plus imports, fell by 4.4 per cent in the first quarter from a year earlier as the trade war rages on. 'We encourage the U.S. and Canada to continue a dialogue and come to a trade agreement that includes tariff alignment throughout North America to ensure both fair trade in the region and the steady flow of aluminum for U.S. producers,' Aluminum Association chief executive officer Charles Johnson said in a statement. With a report by Jeffrey Jones
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
As Trump hikes tariffs, B.C. jobs minister urges Carney to ‘negotiate hard'
British Columbia's minister of jobs and economic growth is urging the federal government to stand firm and 'negotiate hard' when trying to find a solution to 35 per cent tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump's Ravi Kahlon's advice to Prime Minister Mark Carney and his negotiating team is to keep up what they're doing, and 'find a path forward the best they can.' A statement from Premier David Eby's office says he remains focused on protecting workers and businesses in B.C. from the 'deeply harmful tariffs' imposed by Trump's administration. It says Eby supports the federal government's efforts to get a 'good deal' for Canada, adding that he looks forward to speaking to the prime minister about the situation. 1:09 Scott Moe says Canada should lower or remove counter-tariffs on the U.S. The United States imposed a 35 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods outside the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement on free trade after an agreement couldn't be reached by the Aug. 1 deadline. Story continues below advertisement Several other jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom and the European Union, have reached deals before the deadline. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Kahlon said Trump is 'constantly finding ways to raise the temperature' so 'they can squeeze out the most' from any agreement. He said he believes Carney and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc are taking the right approach, 'which is keeping their head down, continue to be at the table, continue to find solutions, and not getting distracted by the day-to-day swings of the president of the United States.' He said he would also highlight the importance of the softwood lumber industry for B.C., which is just as crucial as the auto industry is to Ontario. 'The forest sector here in British Columbia should get the same support,' Kahlon said. Both Eby and Kahlon have repeatedly argued that the long-running softwood lumber dispute with the United States should be part of a larger deal. 5:53 CCPA on new Trump tariffs against Canada Brian Menzies, executive director of the Independent Wood Processors Association of British Columbia, said he is 'not very optimistic' that a future deal would also resolve the softwood dispute as the industry already faces combined tariffs and duties of almost 35 per cent. Story continues below advertisement 'We have been at this for eight years now, and there doesn't seem to be enough of a push on the American side to resolve this,' he said. Menzies also favours ongoing negotiations with the United States to resolve the tariff dispute. 'I would say it's better to get a good deal than a bad deal,' he said. 'I'd say right now, 'Do your best to stand up for what's important for Canada,'' he said. Menzies said being 'kowtowed and pushed over' is not good for Canada or the United States. 'People respect people who stand up for what's important to them, and that's the basis for any negotiation,' Menzies said. Menzies noted that any future deal with the United States might not last long, given Trump's temperament. Kahlon agreed. 'We take nothing for granted,' he said. 'It's a sad state for us in Canada to have a partner down south that doesn't honour a handshake, an agreement,' he said. 'It's hard to do business with somebody that is hard to trust when these things come.' Kahlon added that even the United Kingdom and the European Union are not sure if they actually have agreements with the United States. Story continues below advertisement 'So the uncertainty continues,' he said.
