Canada's steel producers say the industry is feeling the pain of 50% tariffs on imports to the U.S.
Catherine Cobden, President of the Canadian Steel Producers Association, said steel touches the automotive, infrastructure, and defense industries in both countries.
But she said the high tariff has prevented Canadian steel from accessing U.S. markets and they now have 6 million tons of product on hand. Cobden said Canadian steel will now be used in government projects to try to shore up the industry.
"We're going to ask our government to take action against U.S. steel as well. Which is the next step in decoupling our integrated economies which we have enjoyed for decades on both sides of the border," Cobden said.
The matter is urgent for the steel industry in Canada. Cobden said to date 1,000 steel jobs have been lost with more to come, and production is down 30% as of the end of May. She said further production cuts are likely due to the 50% tariffs levied in June.
