How new American tariffs on Canadian aluminum could backfire

June 25, 2020

If the Trump administration buys the argument that Canadian aluminum exports have surged and slaps a 10 per cent tariff back on products imported from Canada, the move could end up hurting Americans instead, warns the head of the association representing Canada's aluminum producers.

"Canada stands to win more in a situation like this," said Jean Simard, the president and chief executive of the Aluminum Association of Canada.

"Production will keep going on, exports will keep going on, and at the end, unfortunately, it's the U.S. economy that will bear the brunt of this increase in tariffs."

The damage, Simard said, will be more on the political side, given how much political capital the Trudeau government spent on persuading the U.S. government to lift steel and aluminum tariffs in May 2019.

Last week, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer fuelled D.C. rumours of a possible return to tariffs by telling the Senate Finance Committee that a recent spike in imports is a "genuine concern."...

This was excerpted from the 24 June 2020 edition of CBC News.

Topic(s)

Trade Agreements

International Trade and Border Management

Information source

Canadian News Channel

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