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TORONTO— President Trump’s new order to impose tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum is just the latest attack in his full-on economic war against Canada.
“Make no mistake Trump is coming for Canada and the jobs of Canadian workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “It’s clear his plan is to use economic warfare to weaken our economy. It’s time to push back hard. Canada must respond in full force to the tariffs on steel and aluminum to prevent the U.S. from coming after more jobs and industries.”
Today, Trump signed an executive order to implement a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imported to the United States starting on March 12, 2025. Canada is the largest international supplier of both to the American market. While the steel and aluminum tariffs apply to all countries, in his remarks Trump cited Canadian imports specifically and reiterated that Canada should become the 51st state.
Trump also warned that he will be examining other sectors including auto, pharmaceuticals, and computer chips in the coming weeks.
In 2018, Trump imposed steel and aluminum tariffs at 25 and 10 per cent respectively, which were in effect for a year before they were lifted.
‘Trump knows it doesn’t make sense to tariff Canadian steel and aluminum. The last time he did this he needlessly hurt Canadian producers and the only thing he achieved was higher costs for American consumers. This new tariff cash grab is designed to weaken our economy and is proof positive that the U.S. is an unreliable trade partner that breaks trade agreements and can no longer be counted on to honour its promises,” Payne added.
On February 4, the Canadian government negotiated a 30 day pause on tariffs on goods exported the U.S., only for Trump to impose this new tariff days later.
“This chaos will not stop; the demands will keep coming from Trump. This underscores the need to act immediately to protect Canadian jobs and implement measures to strengthen our economy in the long term,” said Payne.
Unifor has called for industrial policies to strategically manage national resources, leverage procurement dollars at all levels of government, to provide enhanced income supports for workers and emergency relief to mitigate risk of layoff and sustain companies in their operations.
Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
For media inquiries or to arrange interviews via FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype please contact Unifor Communications Director Kathleen O’Keefe at @email or by cell at (416) 896-3303.
