Latest news with #Cobden
Winnipeg Free Press
20 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Hard to look at the bright side'
Lost sales, higher prices and material shortages have recently hit Manitoba businesses reliant on steel and aluminum — and it could get worse. U.S. President Donald Trump announced last week he'd raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent, a doubling of the current levy. As of Monday afternoon, the change is proposed to begin Wednesday. Current tariffs already have a 'deep and profound' impact across the supply chain, said Catherine Cobden, president of the Canadian Steel Producers Association. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Steel in various forms wait to be shipped to customers. Premier Wab Kinew and Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson speak flanked by employees and in front of a giant Canadian flag hanging in one of the buildings at the Gerdau Manitoba Steel Mill, 27 Main St., Selkirk, Thursday morning. Reporter: Gabrielle Piche 250327 - Thursday, March 27, 2025. Gerdau SA's Selkirk steel plant is a CSPA member. A majority of the company's steel is exported to the United States; it employs upwards of 500 Manitobans. Gerdau previously directed a reporter to the CSPA for comment. Across Canada, steel shipments to the United States dropped roughly 30 per cent in April, Cobden said. Twenty-five per cent tariffs came into effect in March. 'This will close the market for Canadian exports to the United States,' Cobden said of the prospect of a 50 per cent levy. Selkirk Mayor Larry Johansson considers himself an 'optimistic kind of mayor.' '(But) it's hard to look at the bright side when they raise the tariffs another 25 per cent,' he said. For now, he's clocked activity in Gerdau's lot — plenty of semi-trucks. Gerdau employees haven't been laid off to date, the United Steelworkers confirmed. A 50 per cent tariff would be a 'massive challenge' to Gerdau and similar mills, said Scott Lunny, a United Steelworkers director. 'Who pays the price for that, often, is workers.' 'There's customers I supply in the U.S. that, when he does things like this, they just stop buying and wait six weeks.'– Richard Bobrowski, Imperial Steel owner Meantime, Imperial Steel hasn't laid off staff, despite recording a 25 per cent drop in sales year-over-year. The Winnipeg company, which makes thin-wall steel tubing, exported roughly 70 per cent of its products to the U.S. in 2024. 'You get going for a few weeks, and all of a sudden the president of the United States makes a statement,' said Richard Bobrowski, Imperial Steel owner. 'There's customers I supply in the U.S. that, when he does things like this, they just stop buying and wait six weeks.' American clients are sourcing within their home country more, Bobrowski added. Imperial Steel struggles to give consistent pricing — between tariff changes and recent steel price fluctuations — and U.S. customers are hesitant to sign on, wondering what change could occur before a shipment arrives. Imperial Steel currently splits the 25 per cent import tariff with its American patrons. It made a decision Monday: it won't swallow more than 12.5 per cent of a 50 per cent tariff. 'Which will then stress our company's ability to compete,' Bobrowski said. 'That's when the government has got to get involved.' The Manitoba government tabbed $300 million for tariff-impacted businesses and farmers in its Budget 2025 contingency plan. The funding hasn't yet been used. Evolution Wheel has avoided tariffs on both sides of the border, said owner Derek Hird. The Winnipeg-based construction-grade solid tire maker imports steel from the United States; it's exempt from Canada's reciprocal tariffs because of a carve-out for manufacturers. The company mainly ships south of the border. But the turnaround time has lengthened — Evolution Wheel hasn't been able to source the specific steel it needs. 'Companies … are just buying up huge amounts of stock, and there's no supply,' Hird said. 'You're … fighting for scraps on what's available in the market right now.' 'Companies … are just buying up huge amounts of stock, and there's no supply,' Hird said. 'You're … fighting for scraps on what's available in the market right now.'– Evolution Wheel owner Derek Hird Supply chain issues have resulted in lost sales, Hird added. Meantime, he's paying more for the steel he purchases. So, too, is Northern Steel Buildings, a steel shop enterprise in Morden. It gets steel from Canada and the United States, and it pays Canada's 25 per cent reciprocal tariff. The tariffed products can be cheaper than Canadian steel, said general manager Rick Friesen. That won't be the case if a 50 per cent fee comes online on Canada's side. 'If the Canadian government decides to retaliate … I think that will hinder the Canadian economy and growth,' Friesen said. The economic uncertainty is damaging, said Chuck Davidson, president of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. 'We continue to … move the goalposts at the whim of the (U.S.) president.' If businesses feel further tariff effects, government assistance could be needed, he added. The Canadian Steel Producers Association is calling for Ottawa to implement tariffs to incentivize domestic steel use. Local producers compete with unfairly traded international steel that retails cheaper, Cobden asserted. Manitoba is among the jurisdictions pledging to use more Canadian steel. In March, Premier Wab Kinew declared government infrastructure projects requiring steel would source Canadian. These announcements are appreciated, Cobden said, but the projects might be too late to mitigate the damage of a 50 per cent tariff. 'If the Canadian government decides to retaliate … I think that will hinder the Canadian economy and growth.'– Northern Steel Buildings general manager Rick Friesen However such a levy isn't a given, said Gary Mar, Canada West Foundation president. 'I think the best idea is to … wait and see what the president actually does first.' Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. He believes Americans will push back against tariffs as they feel pain in their pocketbooks. The impact hasn't reached its peak, Mar stated, noting hundreds of U.S. politicians will run for office again next year. Meantime, Manitoba companies are attempting to dodge tariffs. Northern Steel Buildings is consulting agencies about a reciprocal tariff exemption. It's heard of other companies being successful, Friesen said. Eascan Automation in Winnipeg, which creates robots, is tapping Canadian companies to bulk order aluminum goods from Europe for direct shipment into Canada. The goal is tricky because Eascan orders custom parts and its supplier distribution centres are in the United States, said chief executive Camila Bellon. Canada exported $20 billion worth of steel and iron to the U.S. last year and $4.1 billion in aluminum, per Natural Resources Canada data. Gabrielle PichéReporter Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle. Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Trump's 50 percent tariff bombshell sparks cross-border chaos, industry panic, and fears of a new trade war with Canada
US President Donald Trump 's recent decision to double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, from 25 to 50 percent, has sent shockwaves through the North American steel industry. Canada's steel producers warn this move will cause 'mass disruption' and could deeply harm workers and businesses on both sides of the border. On Friday(May 30), Trump announced the steep tariff increase during a rally at US Steel's Mon Valley Works near Pittsburgh, asserting it would protect and revive American steel manufacturing. 'Our steel and aluminum industries are coming back like never before,' Trump said. 'Nobody is going to get around that.' While the president celebrates a rebirth of US manufacturing, Canada's steel industry paints a starkly different picture. Canada's steel industry is at risk Live Events 'The Canadian and US steel industries are so tightly linked that tariffs at this level will disrupt entire supply chains,' said Catherine Cobden, president and CEO of the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA). 'This move essentially closes the US market to half of Canada's steel production.' Cobden called on the Canadian government to respond immediately by reinstating retaliatory tariffs on US steel and aluminum imports, and by implementing new protections to prevent unfairly traded steel from flooding Canadian markets. The CSPA warns that a trade war between the two countries would have 'unrecoverable consequences' for workers, businesses, and communities that depend on steel production. For many towns in both countries, steel mills are more than factories, they are lifelines that provide stable jobs and economic security. A human story behind the tariffs Take Hamilton, Ontario, known as Canada's 'Steel City.' Generations of families have worked in steel mills that now face uncertainty. Workers like Jamie Thompson, who has spent 20 years at a local plant, worry the tariffs will trigger layoffs or plant closures. 'This isn't just numbers on a page. It's our livelihoods,' Thompson said. Similarly, in Pennsylvania's steel towns, the sentiment is mixed. While some cheer the tariffs as a lifeline, others worry that retaliatory tariffs will make steel exports to Canada and Mexico more difficult, potentially leading to lost business. Background: Why tariffs? The US first imposed 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum in March, citing concerns about 'dumping', the practice of countries selling steel at a loss to undercut US producers. Trump claims these tariffs will bring manufacturing jobs back to the US after years of decline. However, experts warn that such tariffs often lead to higher costs for manufacturers who rely on steel, such as the automotive and construction sectors, driving up prices for consumers. What's next? The new 50 percent tariff takes effect next week, leaving little time for governments and businesses to prepare. Canadian officials have reportedly been consulting on possible countermeasures, and Cobden stresses: 'The time for the Canadian government to act is now.' As the two countries brace for a potential trade escalation, workers and communities on both sides of the border face uncertainty, caught between political decisions and economic realities.
Global News
3 days ago
- Business
- Global News
Trump's new steel tariffs will cause ‘mass disruption', Canadian industry warns
U.S. President Donald Trump's heightened tariffs on steel and aluminum coming into his country will 'create mass disruption and negative consequences,' Canada's steel industry warns. Trump said on Friday that he will double the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent. Catherine Cobden, president and CEO of the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA), said the steel industry in Canada and the U.S. were highly integrated and tariffs would hit steel producers on both sides. 'Steel tariffs at this level will create mass disruption and negative consequences across our highly integrated steel supply chains and customers on both sides of the border,' Cobden said in a statement Saturday. The tariff increase will take effect Wednesday, Trump said in a Truth Social post shortly after he announced the new rate for steel imports at a rally with steelworkers in Pennsylvania. Story continues below advertisement 'Our steel and aluminum industries are coming back like never before. This will be yet another BIG jolt of great news for our wonderful steel and aluminum workers,' Trump wrote. 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 Cobden said the move 'essentially closes the US market to our domestic industry for half of its production.' 'It is vital that the Government of Canada responds immediately to fully re-instate 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,' she said. She said a trade war between Canada and the U.S. would 'have unrecoverable consequences' on the North American steel industry. 'The new government has already consulted on possible new measures. The time for the Canadian government to act is now,' she said. Trump announced the increased duties on steel during a rally at U.S. Steel's Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant near Pittsburgh Friday evening, where he criticized countries for 'dumping' their 'garbage' steel products into the U.S. at a lower cost. 'We are going to bring it from 25 per cent to 50 per cent the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States,' Trump told the crowd. Story continues below advertisement 'Nobody is going to get around that.' In March, Trump put 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the United States. The president has said his sweeping tariffs will bring manufacturing back to the United States. –with files from Global's Sean Boynton
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- RNZ News
Police seeking information after suspicious house fire on West Coast
The house fire was in Cobden on Bright Street at about 12.10am on 14 May. Photo: Pretoria Gordon / RNZ A suspicious house fire is under investigation on the West Coast. Police want to hear from anyone who captured footage near Bright Street in Cobden, leading up to the blaze just after midnight on Wednesday. In particular, the police are asking for CCTV or dashcam footage of the area area from 11pm on Tuesday night, to midnight. Police said a scene guard stayed at the property overnight, and a fire investigator had carried out a scene examination on Thursday. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
North Wales Chronicle
26-04-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Blueking d'Oroux serves up Select success
Cobden has shone in recent weeks, particularly when winning the Scottish National on Willie Mullins' Captain Cody, and dictated matters perfectly. Having looked a sitting duck on the run to two out, both Dan Skelton's runners Take No Chances and Gwennie May Boy dropped away and Mullins' favourite Kitzbuhel got caught flat footed. It was Gary and Josh Moore's Salver who briefly headed Cobden, looking to give the stable a treble on the day, but Blueking d'Oroux (10-1) battled back to give Paul Nicholls a fifth win in the race by a head. Nicholls said: 'He deserved that and he's a decent horse who loves good ground. He struggled a little bit in the winter but he only just got beat at Ascot, Fontwell and Windsor the ground was against us, so in the future we'll just have to pick our battles depending on ground. 'It was a great ride from Harry from the front and he dug deep and kept finding. I'd saved him for today and it was the obvious race for him – there was no point running in handicaps with his mark and this was the obvious race for him before he goes chasing. 'He wants good ground and that is key, but I think he will be a better chaser than hurdler. He jumps well and stays nicely and I think he will be a very fun horse. To me he is a mirror of Pic D'Orhy and if he is anywhere as good as him, you would be happy with that. 'I thought I had this lad and Pic D'Orhy in the form of their lives today and it just shows you how different 30 minutes can make in racing – thankfully Pic D'Orhy is perfectly all right and will be back.'
