Carney denounces 'unlawful and unjustified' doubling of U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says the government is in 'live negotiations' with the United States to remove all tariffs on Canadian goods on the same day U.S. President Donald Trump ordered border levies be doubled on steel and aluminum imports.
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'The additional tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum announced today by the United States are unlawful and unjustified,' Carney said in a statement Tuesday evening.
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'Canada's new government is engaged in intensive and live negotiations to have these and other tariffs removed as part of a new economic and security partnership with the United States.'
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The move deals a significant blow to a key Canadian export, with industry groups warning that steel and aluminum producers are reeling from the noticeable drop in American imports.
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More than 90 per cent of Canada's steel and aluminum is exported to the United States, according to 2024 federal government statistics.
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In a statement, the Aluminum Association of Canada said the additional tariffs make Canadian exports to the U.S. 'economically unviable'.
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'This measure risks increasing U.S. reliance on aluminium from distant sources — including China, Russia, India and the Middle East — for a material critical to national security,' association president and CEO Jean Simard said in a statement.
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'Even with higher domestic output, the U.S. will continue to rely on substantial aluminium imports.'
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In his statement, Carney promised that 'every dollar' from Canada's retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. to date will be used to support impacted Canadian businesses, though it did not detail how.
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'We are fighting to get the best deal for Canada, and we will take the time necessary, but no longer,' Carney said.
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In his executive order, Trump once again accused foreign countries of offloading lower priced steel and aluminum into the American market, undercutting the domestic industry.
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'In my judgment, the increased tariffs will more effectively counter foreign countries that continue to offload low-priced, excess steel and aluminum in the United States market and thereby undercut the competitiveness of the United States steel and aluminum industries,' read the executive order signed by Trump.
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