Latest news with #Dofasco
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
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.'
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Federal government will protect Hamilton steel amid tariffs, Joly tells Dofasco workers
Since Minister Mélanie Joly took over the infrastructure portfolio last month, she and Dofasco CEO Ron Bedard have spoken every day about how the U.S. trade war is impacting Hamilton's steel industry. "I can't emphasize enough how determined she has been in every meeting on taking care of workers," Bedard told a crowd of workers at the company's plant in Hamilton on Friday, alongside Joly and local politicians. "It's unlike anything I've seen in my 38-year career. And the fact that she's here today wanting to understand what more she can do speaks volumes about how committed she is to our industry and our people." Before Friday, Bedard had rarely spoken publicly about ArcelorMittal Dofasco's efforts to get the federal government's help as Canada's trade war with the U.S. escalates. Watch | Hamilton reels after Trump's latest steel tariff gut punch: Hamilton reels after Trump's latest steel tariff gut punch 2 days ago Duration 2:01 Joly's visit to Dofasco came a few days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order increasing tariffs of steel and aluminum from 25 to 50 per cent. On Thursday, Canadian steel executives met with officials in Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal government, including Joly, to press for urgent assistance. "It is clear that the government is seized with the gravity of the situation facing Canadian steel and understands the need for expediency in responding," Canadian Steel Producers Association CEO Catherine Cobden said about the meeting in Ottawa in a statement. Dofasco plant a 'crown jewel' While Joly toured the Hamilton plant Friday, Carney introduced new legislation to eliminate federal barriers to internal trade and enable more infrastructure projects to be approved faster. These projects will include power lines and pipelines, and building up the defence industry, all of which will require steel that's made in Canada, Joly said. Much of that steel comes from Hamilton. "This is a national asset, the crown jewel of the manufacturing sector," she said of Dofasco's plant. "This is our opportunity to not only save jobs, but build jobs." The federal government is working on a plan to help companies financially in the short-term to prevent layoffs, Joly said. The government is also going to attempt to stop "steel dumping," which is when foreign steelmakers sell steel into the Canadian market at ultra-low prices. "We will have more to say very soon on those two issues," Joly told reporters. "These can't be empty promises. We're in action mode." Mayor Andrea Horwath met with Joly Friday and said after that she urged the minister to "get things moving quite quickly." 'Hamiltonians are worried," Horwath said. "This is impacting people and families." She said in a statement earlier this week that the tariffs were putting "thousands of good jobs at risk." Joly said diplomatic efforts with the Trump administration are ongoing and increasing Canada's retaliatory tariffs on American products is still an option.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump signs order imposing 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump has signed executive orders to slap 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, including Canadian products, starting March 4 — the same deadline given to Canada to convince the U.S. president to halt his plan for across-the-board duties. "It's a big deal. This is the beginning of making America rich again," Trump said as he signed the executive orders in the Oval Office. The orders remove the exceptions and exemptions from Trump's 2018 tariffs on steel, which excluded Canada and other countries from the duties. Monday's orders also increased aluminum tariffs to 25 per cent from 10 per cent, which was what he'd set them at in 2018. In a post on X Monday evening, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada would be "totally unjustified." "Canadian steel and aluminum support key industries in the U.S. from defence, shipbuilding, energy to automotive," Champagne said. The minister said the government is consulting with its international partners, adding that its response will be "clear and calibrated." "We will continue to stand up for Canada, support our workers, and defend our industries as we have always done and always will," he said. Monday's move marks another escalation in Trump's rapidly changing geopolitical agenda that's charting America on a new course for foreign policy and trade. The president also suggested he would also announce "reciprocal tariffs" later this week. It's all happening one week after Trump temporarily paused plans to slap Canada and Mexico with 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs and a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy. Trump delayed those levies until at least March 4 in response to border security commitments from both countries, saying it would allow time to reach a "final economic deal." Some experts say Trump's tariffs are likely a first step in his plan to rattle the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement ahead of a mandatory review in 2026. Trump did not offer much relief on Monday for Canadians hoping the delay would allow for a deal ending the tariff threat for good. Trump said America has been "pummeled by both friend and foe alike" and duties would bring manufacturing back to the United States. "If we make it in the United States, we don't need it to be made in Canada," Trump said. "We have the jobs. That's why Canada should be the 51st state." Canadian premiers are travelling to Washington this week on a joint mission to meet with Republicans lawmakers and attempt to sway the president away from the threatened duties. Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford said he spoke with the CEOs of Stelco and Dofasco, prominent Canadian steel companies, about the looming tariffs Monday morning. Ford used Trump's tariff threats as justification for calling a snap provincial election. He said Ontario is prepared to react "hard" and "fast." In a media statement, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith cited the fact that the initial tariff threat was paused as "further evidence that diplomacy and action on border security matters." While Trump's rhetoric about American expansion is sending shock waves around the world, Monday's tariffs harken back to similar actions taken under his first administration. During negotiations on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, commonly dubbed "the new NAFTA," Trump floated the idea of a 25 per cent tariff on the Canadian auto sector; it was never implemented. He did use his national security powers to impose a 25 per cent tariff on steel imports and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminum imports in March 2018. The day after announcing those levies, Trump posted on social media that "trade wars are good, and easy to win." Canada and other countries brought their own duties against the U.S. in response. They targeted products for political, rather than economic, reasons — things like yogurt and bourbon coming from the home states of Republican lawmakers. Nearly a year later, on May 17, 2019, the White House announced a deal had been reached to prevent "surges" in steel and aluminum supplies from Canada and Mexico, ending the trade dispute. Economists have said Trump's initial tariffs on steel and aluminum were costly for American companies and consumers. A report by the Washington-based Tax Foundation said companies were forced to pay higher prices, U.S. exports dropped and the duties resulted in the loss of about 75,000 manufacturing jobs. About a quarter of all steel used in the United States is imported and Canada is the largest supplier, accounting for nearly 25 per cent of all steel imports in 2023. Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce shows Mexico provided almost 15 per cent of steel imports that year. Trump's 2018 steel and aluminum tariffs also had a "devastating impact" on Canadian workers, said Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress. "Thousands of workers faced layoffs and uncertainty, and the effects rippled across manufacturing, construction and supply chains," Bruske said, adding that 2,000 workers and 500 employers relied on emergency government support. A repeat of Trump's tariffs would risk a return to that disruption and harm, said Catherine Cobden, president and CEO of the Canadian Steel Producers Association. She called on the federal government to intervene immediately with retaliatory tariffs. Perpetual uncertainty is here to stay, said Candace Laing, Canadian Chamber of Commerce CEO and president, in response to the new duties. She said it should "galvanize Canada's political parties to reconvene Parliament and focus on what's within our control." "Businesses and investors already feel on shaky ground with the 30-day tariff pause, and now our steel and aluminum industries — critical to the shared success of both the American and Canadian economies — are first into the fire," Laing said. — With files from Catherine Morrison in Ottawa, Sonja Puzic in Toronto and Lisa Johnson in Edmonton This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2025. Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
