United Steelworkers Union pushes back against Trump's tariff plan
The United Steelworkers union (USW) strongly condemns the U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports. These unjustified measures threaten thousands of Canadian jobs, disrupt supply chains and undermine decades of economic co-operation.
"Trump’s tariffs are a direct attack on workers and communities," said USW Canadian national director Marty Warren. "We’ve been through this before and we know these kinds of reckless trade measures don’t work, and hurt workers, destabilize industries and create uncertainty across the economy on both sides of the border."
The Canada-U.S. economy is deeply integrated, with $20 billion worth of steel traded between the two countries every year. Canada imports 39 per cent of its steel from the U.S., while exporting 94 per cent of its production there. American manufacturers rely heavily on Canadian steel to run their operations. In 2024, Canada exported $15.9 billion worth of aluminum to the U.S., making it by far the largest supplier to U.S. industries, and imported $4.1 billion, supporting thousands of jobs across the border.
With no sign of an exemption for Canada, despite the reprieve secured a week ago, Warren is calling on the federal government to act quickly and forcefully with immediate counter-tariffs, enhanced worker and industry support and a firm commitment to use Canadian steel and aluminum in public infrastructure projects. Warren also warns that without safeguard measures, Canada could see an influx of cheap steel and aluminum from countries shut out of the U.S. market, further harming domestic industries and Canadian jobs.
"If these tariffs move forward, the government must be ready to hit back just as hard and be ready to face the consequences of this new chapter in the crisis on jobs," Warren said. "For years, we’ve pushed for domestic procurement policies to ensure taxpayer dollars support Canadian jobs and industries. It’s a shame that this still hasn’t happened, but the government can’t afford to ignore it any longer.”
USW international president Dave McCall also denounced Trump’s decision, pointing to a very similar situation in 2018.
"Canada is not the problem, and these tariffs will only hurt workers on both sides of the border," McCall said. "Instead of reckless trade wars, we need policies that strengthen manufacturing and protect good jobs in both countries."
The USW will continue to push all level of government to take decisive action, defend Canadian workers and ensure that these tariffs do not undermine the future of our steel and aluminum industries.
United Steelworkers
The USW represents 225,000 members across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.
Steelworkers Local 1-405 was founded in Cranbrook in 1944, merging with United Steelworkers in 2004. There are more than 40 places of employment in the Kootenays that are certified to 1-405, including sawmills, Credit Unions, insurance services, hotels, ski resorts and municipal workers
New Car Dealers Association of B.C speaks out on Trump tariffs
Canada and the United States share a relationship that hasn’t always been perfect, but has always been based on mutual respect and benefit. We have supported one another at the best and worst of times and have fought shoulder to shoulder during times of war to protect our collective freedom.
Trade disputes happen when a country is forced to protect its national interest, but the prospect of sweeping U.S tariffs on all Canadian exports go beyond that. Many see them as personal and perhaps that’s why it stings so much.
In the latest development this week, tariffs were ‘paused’ against Canada and Mexico as both countries agreed to boost border security efforts. As much as this ongoing saga may test our patience, at least there is a reason for guarded optimism.
Should tariffs prevail, the outlook would be extremely negative. Royal Bank of Canada has suggested this would be the most significant ‘trade shock’ since the Smoot-Hawley tariffs of the 1930s, which were widely blamed for exacerbating and prolonging the Great Depression and far surpasses the 2018 tariffs in magnitude.
The Canadian Auto Dealers Association (CADA) suggests the impact on both sides of the border would be immediate, in the form of higher prices for vehicles and parts used to service them.
Auto exporting is a major economic engine for Canada, bringing in about $51 billion in 2023. About 93 per cent of those exports go to the U.S, exposing a major piece of the economy.
Vehicle and parts production and distribution across North America is highly integrated and the result of decades-long efforts and cooperation by the U.S, Canada and Mexican governments and manufacturers. More than 91 per cent of Canadian automotive and auto parts are exported to the US, and some parts cross the American or Mexico border as many as eight times before they are installed in a final assembly.
Canadian automotive dealers and the 178,000+ people they employ depend on functioning supply chains in order to sell and properly maintain the vital automotive infrastructure of Canada.
That means the stakes are high for an industry that is enduring the enormous costs and uncertainties of making the electric vehicle transition, considered one of the largest industrial transformations in history. What’s more, the auto sector is just getting back on its feet after several years of pandemic and post-pandemic challenges, supply chain issues, high interest rates and inflation that reduced consumer demand.
At this stage, most people are hoping that common sense will prevail because the alternative is something that will have a significant impact on our sector, the economy on both sides of the border – and I fear, might forever impact the relationship between our two great nations.
Blair Qualey
Blair Qualey is the president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of B.C.
