Federal Steel Tariffs

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says industries and workers on both sides of the Canada-US border will suffer as a result of these steel and aluminum tariffs.

This afternoon, he called the tariffs “totally unacceptable” and announced that starting July 1st, Canada is imposing dollar-for-dollar tariff “countermeasures” on a long list of US products. This includes everything from steel to coffee, chocolate, pens, playing cards, all in response to the American decision to add tariffs against Canadian-made steel and aluminum.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland made the announcement alongside Trudeau this afternoon, following word from the white house that the US will slap tariffs on Canadian, Mexican and European union steel and aluminium as of midnight tonight. She called the US measures illegal and counterproductive, and both she and Trudeau expressed how hard it is to imagine how Canada could ever be a national-security threat to an ally as close and important as the United States.

Saying they will always protect Canadian workers and Canadians interests and these counter measure tariffs will remain in place until the United States eliminates its trade restrictive measures against Canada.

Adding that they have made sure Canadian can get all these items from Canadian companies or other non US trade partners, making sure any costs aren’t passed on to Canadians.