Brussels: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has warned that the imposition of U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum would lead to job losses in the United States and hinder economic growth.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Trudeau reaffirmed that Canada would retaliate with countermeasures if necessary. The warning comes amid renewed threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, along with a broader set of duties on all Canadian imports.
During his first administration in 2018, Trump implemented similar tariffs while renegotiating the North American trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. Trudeau highlighted that the measures had a detrimental effect on the U.S. job market, leading to the loss of 75,000 jobs.
“We are highlighting the fact that there were job losses, significant ones, in the United States the last time that they brought in tariffs … and that this will actually compromise growth and prosperity in the United States,” Trudeau stated.
Trump, however, maintains that the tariffs are essential to support struggling American industries.
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The United States heavily relies on Canadian aluminum, with imports from Canada accounting for nearly half of the aluminum used domestically. In 2024, U.S. imports of Canadian aluminum reached 3.2 million tons, more than double the combined total from the next nine largest supplier countries.
A significant portion of Canada’s aluminum exports originate from Quebec. Quebec Premier François Legault suggested that Canada should consider implementing export tariffs on key materials such as aluminum, given the U.S.’s dependency on Canadian supply.
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Meanwhile, Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who is in Washington for discussions with U.S. officials, indicated that Canada would await further developments before taking action.
“What the Americans have said to us privately and what they have said publicly is that we have a number of weeks to work together,” LeBlanc told reporters.
