Canada Warns Of More Duties On US Steel And Aluminum If No Deal Is Reached
OTTAWA: Canada could increase counter-tariffs on US-produced steel and aluminum if it fails to reach a broader trade agreement with President Donald Trump within 30 days, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday (Jun 19).
Speaking at a press conference, Carney said Canada would adjust its existing countermeasures on Jul 21 depending on progress made in the ongoing trade talks with Washington.
"Canada will adjust its existing counter-tariffs on US steel and aluminum products on July 21 to levels consistent with progress made in the broader trading agreement with the United States," Carney said.
TARIFF DISPUTE ESCALATES
Trump raised import duties on steel and aluminum to 50 per cent from 25 per cent earlier this month, a move that triggered backlash from Canadian industry leaders and demands for a strong response. Canada is the largest exporter of these metals to the United States.
Carney said he had agreed with Trump to try and finalize a new economic and security agreement by Jul 21. Until then, Canada will refrain from immediately matching the US hike in order to allow for progress in the negotiations.
In March, Canada had already imposed 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on steel products worth C$12.6 billion and aluminum worth C$3 billion.
PROCUREMENT AND DOMESTIC MEASURES
As part of Thursday's announcement, Carney unveiled new procurement rules that will prioritize domestic producers. Canadian firms and international partners with reciprocal, tariff-free access will now be allowed to compete for federal contracts involving steel and aluminum.
The Canadian government will also implement new tariff-rate quotas set at 100 per cent of 2024 levels for steel imports from non-free trade agreement countries. This is intended to stabilize the domestic market and prevent harmful trade diversion.
"We are united in working on all forms of support for the industry... that starts with buying Canadian steel and aluminum for federal projects," Carney said.
Canada exports more than 90 per cent of its total steel and aluminum to the US, and imports about one-fifth of US steel and half of its aluminum, according to the Royal Bank of Canada. This underscores the deep integration of metals trade between the two nations.
Under Carney's leadership, Canada has launched major infrastructure initiatives—from defense to energy and housing—that are expected to require massive amounts of steel and aluminum.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Done deal between Nippon Steel, US Steel ends 18-month saga
CNA938 Rewind Nippon Steel has closed its US$14.1 billion acquisition of US Steel, bringing an end to a bruising 18-month takeover battle that was embroiled in American politics for months until finally gaining support from US President Donald Trump. Andrea Heng and Susan Ng take a closer look at the terms and implications for the steel industry, and impending tariffs, with Professor Lim Tai Wei, Department of Business Administration, Soka University and Japan expert.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
US judge blocks Trump plan to tie states' transportation funds to immigration enforcement
US President Donald Trump has signed executive orders calling for cutting off federal funding to so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that do not cooperate with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. PHOTO: REUTERS A federal judge on June 19 blocked President Donald Trump's administration from forcing 20 Democratic-led states to cooperate with immigration enforcement in order to receive billions of dollars in transportation grant funding. Chief US District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island granted the states' request for an injunction barring the Department of Transportation's policy, saying the states were likely to succeed on the merits of some or all of their claims. The Trump administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by a group of Democratic state attorneys general who argued the administration was seeking to unlawfully hold federal funds hostage to coerce them into adhering to Mr Trump's hardline immigration agenda. The states argued that US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy lacked the authority to impose immigration-enforcement conditions on funding that Congress appropriated to help states sustain roads, highways, bridges and other transportation projects. Since returning to office on Jan 20, Mr Trump has signed several executive orders that have called for cutting off federal funding to so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that do not cooperate with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as his administration has moved to conduct mass deportations. Sanctuary jurisdictions generally have laws and policies that limit or prevent local law enforcement from assisting federal officers with civil immigration arrests. The Justice Department has filed a series of lawsuits against such jurisdictions, including Illinois, New York and Colorado, challenging laws in those Democratic-led states that it says hinder federal immigration enforcement. The lawsuit before Judge McConnell, who was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama, was filed after Mr Duffy on April 24 notified states they could lose transportation funding if they do not cooperate with the enforcement of federal law, including with ICE in its efforts to enforce immigration law. The states argue that policy is improper and amounts to an unconstitutionally ambiguous condition on the states' ability to receive funding authorised by Congress as it leaves unclear what exactly would constitute adequate cooperation. The administration has argued the policy was within Mr Duffy's discretion and that conditions should be upheld as there is nothing improper about requiring states to comply with federal law. The 20 states are separately pursuing a similar case also in Rhode Island challenging new immigration enforcement conditions that the Homeland Security Department imposed on grant programs. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
LA Dodgers say they denied immigration agents access to Dodger Stadium parking lot
Protesters gather at Gate E of Dodger Stadium after ICE officers were denied access to the stadium's parking lot for staging, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jill Connelly Members of the media report at Gate E of Dodger Stadium after ICE officers were denied access to the stadium's parking lot for staging, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jill Connelly A boy on a scooter passes in front of Gate A of Dodger Stadium after ICE officers were denied access to the stadium's parking lot for staging, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jill Connelly LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers said they had denied U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents access to the parking lot at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, in the team's first sign of opposition to immigration raids that have rattled California's largest city. The Dodgers, whose baseball fan base includes a significant Latino contingent, have come under criticism from fans and local media commentators in recent days for not speaking out publicly against raids by immigration agents across Los Angeles. The raids sparked street protests, which in turn prompted President Donald Trump to send in the National Guard and U.S. Marines to protect federal personnel and property, fueling more protests and tension. "This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots," the team said in a post on X. "They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight's game will be played as scheduled." The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said CBP vehicles used the parking lot briefly. "This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. MSNBC showed video of a small number of protesters objecting to the presence of at least four uniformed agents and three vehicles and asking them to remove their facemasks. Los Angeles Times video showed protesters chanting, "Where are the Dodgers?" The Dodgers, coming off a World Series championship in 2024, are a cultural touchstone in Los Angeles. Their Latino fan base has been a large part of the team's identity at least since the "Fernandomania" craze surrounding Mexican-born pitcher Fernando Valenzuela in the early 1980s. After nearly two weeks of silence over the raids, the Dodgers were due on Thursday to announce plans to assist immigrant communities, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a team spokesman. The Dodgers did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. "It's kind of upsetting that they haven't spoken up," Kimberly, a fan who did not want to give her full name, told Reuters at Dodger Stadium before Wednesday night's game. She praised Enrique "Kike" Hernandez, the popular utility player and Puerto Rican native, who recently posted that he could not stand to see the Los Angeles community being "violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart." Hernandez received a huge ovation from the crowd when he came to bat on Wednesday. Lifelong Dodgers fan Dmitri Turner said that while he would like to see the team use its platform to address the "bad things going on" with ICE detentions, he understood that the organization might want to keep its focus on the field. "Maybe they'd rather leave that to the politicians and give the fans what they want, which is good baseball," he said in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium. While the immigration raids may appeal to Trump's base of supporters over concerns about border security, many community leaders in heavily Democratic Los Angeles have publicly opposed the operations. Mayor Karen Bass has denounced them as provoking more tension and as harmful to the local economy. Singer Nezza sang the U.S. national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, injecting a form of protest into the patriotic tradition before the baseball game. The professional soccer clubs LAFC and Angel City FC have issued statements of support for immigrants but otherwise the city's sports franchises have refrained from commenting. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
