Sisi Chan

Steel sector praises new tariff measures, but says more needs to be done

The head of Canada’s steel industry association has given a mixed response to the measures implemented to bolster the domestic market in the face of U.S. tariffs. The new measures aim at heightening restrictions on foreign steel entering Canada and lowering freight charges for materials crossing provincial borders.

Catherine Cobden, CEO of the Canadian Steel Producers Association, expressed her concerns. She pointed out that despite being a move in the right direction, these measures might not fully compensate for the loss of access to the U.S. market.

Voicing her disappointment, Cobden criticized Ottawa’s additional extension to the remission program for selected steel importers, arguing it weakens Ottawa’s counter tariffs on U.S. steel.

The big picture: Cobden advises vigilance, pressing the Canadian government to conclude its remission program by the end of January, three months past the original deadline. Ensuring the fulfillment of this promise, she says, will maintain the industry’s faith in the government to secure the domestic market.