Canada has vowed to respond to the most recent trade restrictions that U.S. President Donald Trump imposed in a “clear and calibrated” manner.
This position was made known by its industry minister, Francois-Philippe Champagne.
According to Trump, starting on March 12, all steel and aluminum products entering the US will be subject to a 25% import tariff. The United States’ biggest exporter of both metals is Canada.
Trump has imposed a variety of these tariffs since taking office again last month in an effort to defend American businesses and employment. According to economists, they will probably result in higher costs for regular Americans.
Industry Minister declared that the latest tariffs were “totally unjustified” as Canada entered a second trade stalemate with Washington in as many weeks.
Trump’s pledged tariff on steel and aluminum has a number of metal-exporting nations rushing to reach an agreement.
More than three million tonnes of aluminum products and six million tonnes of steel products from Canada are imported by the US annually, more than any other nation.
Canadian metal exports were making North America as a whole “more competitive and secure”, Champagne asserted in Monday evening’s statement.
Canadian province leaders, too, have opposed Trump’s idea. François Legault of Quebec stated that his province alone exports millions of tons of aluminum to the United States annually, raising the question of whether Trump would rather purchase the metal from his adversary, China.
Pierre Poilievre, the head of the opposition, declared that if elected, he would impose equivalent taxes on the US.
The head of the Canadian Steel Producers Association warned that a range of sectors could be hit, saying similar measures by Trump during his first term had damaged industry in both countries.
“We have steel that they need and they have steel that we need… we need each other, Catherine Cobden told CBC.