Former US President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose a 25% import tax on all steel and aluminum entering the United States, a move expected to have the biggest impact on Canada, the nation’s largest supplier of aluminum
Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday, Trump emphasised his administration’s intention to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries that tax U.S. imports.
“If they charge us, we charge them,” he declared, though he did not provide specifics on which nations would be targeted or whether exemptions would be granted.
Canada and Mexico, two of the US’s largest steel trading partners, have expressed concern over the announcement. Ontario Premier Doug Ford accused Trump of “shifting goalposts and constant chaos, putting our economy at risk.”
Canada’s steel production is heavily concentrated in Ontario, making it particularly vulnerable to the tariffs.
The announcement comes after Trump’s previous tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum during his first term, which strained trade relations with Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. While the tariffs were later lifted for Canada and Mexico, they remained in place for the EU until 2021.
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