Canada seeks to support the steel sector amid US tariffs

Canada’s infrastructure development will rely heavily on local steel and aluminum, according to CBC.

Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland said this week that leaders in the rail, marine, and shipbuilding sectors have agreed that Canada should prioritize domestic supplies of steel products to strengthen industry and jobs. She spoke to the press outside the ArcelorMittal Dofasco office after a closed-door meeting on ferry and rail infrastructure construction.

According to the minister, the meeting focused on bringing together representatives of these sectors with the steel industry and aluminum producers.

Industry Minister Melanie Joly announced on September 4 that the country would soon introduce a series of promised measures to help the steel and aluminum sectors cope with US tariffs.

Assistance for the aluminum sector will be introduced in the coming days. According to Joly, Ottawa will also help the steel sector move away from US markets, but the minister did not provide details. She also pointed to the need for steel mills to refocus on supplying products to the domestic market.

Canada still hopes for a relaxation of US tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automobiles, and work on repealing these measures continues. Cabinet Minister Dominique LeBlanc said that the parties agreed to hold technical talks on sectoral tariffs after a meeting of officials last week, Bloomberg reports.

According to Leblanc, the talks are focused on reaching a common understanding of options that could ultimately form a series of small agreements that, taken together, would put Canada in a better position than it is now.

In July of this year, Canada tightened its tariff quota system for steel imports to soften the blow of US tariffs on its metallurgical industry. In addition, changes to public procurement rules and support for the industry’s transition to new business areas were envisaged.