The Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) is calling on the Canadian government to protect the steel industry from the 25 per cent U.S. tariffs set to be imposed on steel and aluminum.

“The federal government needs to show leadership by working with the steel production and steel fabrication industries and other levels of government to put forward a strategy that supports Canada’s steel sector and steel workers to weather this economic storm,” said Keanin Loomis, president and CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction.

The Canadian and U.S. economies are highly integrated with $20 billion in trade of steel between the two countries. The industry notes that 40 per cent of Canada’s steel imports comes from the United States.

“Canadian fabricators have watched on as federal and provincial grants and tax credits have been handed to large multinationals that select international firms to provide steel for publicly supported construction. Billions of dollars have gone to Canada’s competitors around the world, rather than into direct support for Canadian businesses, workers, and families. Canada must urgently implement structural changes to ensure our industry can persist throughout this disruption,” said Loomis.

The CISC proposes the Canadian government take the following actions to protect the industry:

• Work with industry to ensure countries accused of dumping practices can no longer undercut the Canadian industry.
• Implement environmental standards for imported steel that meet or exceed the requirements placed on Canadian steel producers and fabricators.
• Immediately introduce domestic procurement requirements for publicly funded construction projects that leverage federal funding.
• Encourage private sector projects to use Canadian steel and steel fabricated products.
• Invest in new public construction and infrastructure products.
• Act promptly to identify markets with the greatest needs and establish agreements before other steel-producing countries fill the void.