Minister Mélanie Joly vows tariff fight, job protection in visit to Hamilton's Dofasco
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly told Hamilton steelworkers to expect new measures 'very soon' to protect their jobs against
escalating tariffs
— and the industry against 'dumping' of cheap foreign steel.
The Liberal minister toured ArcelorMittal Dofasco on Friday and met with Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath in the wake of a controversial doubling of already punishing steel tariffs to 50 per cent by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Joly's visit came on the same day Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled the One Canadian Economy bill designed to help
fast-track major project approvals nationwide
and reduce reliance on a suddenly unreliable U.S. trading partner. Separately, Carney is also apparently
in talks with Trump
in an effort to end the trade war.
In an address to Dofasco workers, Joly called the 50 per cent tariffs 'a direct attack against steelworkers, against Hamiltonians, against Canada … and we will fight against them.'
Minister Mélanie Joy chats with employees at Dofasco.
In response to reporter questions about how the minority Liberal government would protect Hamilton's steel industry that directly employs nearly 10,000 people, Joly said she has spent the last two days talking about options with business leaders, including Dofasco president Ron Bedard.
'We're looking at solutions and I hope we can announce them very soon,' she said, hinting at new measures to prevent foreign steel dumping in Canada and to 'provide liquidities' to tariff-battered companies looking to preserve jobs.
'We'll have more to say very quickly on these two issues,' Joly said.
Bedard did not take reporter questions, but told a gathering of workers he has been speaking to Joly and other federal officials almost daily about measures to remove the tariff threat, and prevent 'unfairly traded steel' entering the country. 'I was absolutely thrilled with her response,' he said.
The Canadian Steel Producers Association also hinted at good news on the horizon in a release praising the government for 'constructive and frank discussions' in the days since Trump doubled tariffs from 25 to 50 per cent — a move the group has suggested would end all exports of domestic steel to America.
The association said in a release it expects to see 'concrete action taken as early as next week' and offered its full support for the government's plans.
Dofasco employees gather for a visit by Industry Minister Mélanie Joly.
Hamilton's mayor had also appealed for 'urgent, co-ordinated action' from both the province and federal government ahead of Joly's visit.
Horwath met privately with Joly on Friday afternoon and afterwards said they discussed local projects that could fit the bill for major fast-tracked infrastructure.
Hamilton has previously called upper levels of government to
fast-track and fund big projects
like a new Dundas sewage treatment plant, Hamilton's light rail transit project and a renewal of the Mountain-climbing Kenilworth Access and bridge.
Horwath said the pair also talked about tariff implications and concerns for particular Hamilton companies, but declined to share the 'confidential' specifics.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly arrives at the galvanizing line at Dofasco for a tour.
'The 50 per cent tariff does very bad things (to) Hamilton — catastrophic, I could say, if it is not addressed soon,' Horwath said, stressing the city cannot afford to lose manufacturers to the tariff war.
A recent city survey of local businesses showed nearly a third of respondents were braced for tariff-related job cuts, while 14 per cent suggested they would have to consider relocation to the U.S.
The mayor said she was confident Joly understood the local implications of the continued tariff war. 'She understands that this is impacting people and families.'
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