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Unifor is welcoming a federal government proposal to tighten the rules on aluminum imports, calling it a meaningful step toward protecting Canadian jobs and industry from unfair trade.
"Canadian aluminum workers produce some of the cleanest, highest-quality aluminum in the world. They shouldn't have to compete against shipments that hide their true origin to dodge our trade rules," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "This is exactly the kind of action workers in our sector have been calling for, and it's a credit to every member who carried that message to Ottawa."
The proposed changes to the Aluminum Import Monitoring Program would require importers to disclose where aluminum was smelted and cast, not just where it was shipped from. That added transparency makes it harder for foreign producers to disguise the origins of low-cost aluminum flooding into the Canadian market.
The move follows the union's recent Lobby Week in Ottawa, where members pushed federal politicians to back stronger “Buy Canadian” policies and tougher action against unfair trading practices.
In a May 4 letter to Global Affairs Canada, Payne backed the proposed rules but flagged two areas where they could go further.
First, the rules currently exempt aluminum made from recycled scrap (“secondary aluminum”). Unifor warned that loophole could one day allow recycled aluminum to flood the global market and undercut Canadian production.
"These new rules are a good start, but they need to cover scrap aluminum too. Otherwise, we're leaving the door open to continued shell games from foreign multinationals," said Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier.
Second, Unifor pressed the government to back the new rules with rigorous enforcement, including penalties for importers who mislead regulators.
Unifor has committed to following up with the Canadian Borders Services Agency to aid in enhanced monitoring and enforcement. In all, Unifor represents nearly 2,500 aluminum workers across Canada.
