Trudeau 'concerned' by U.S. threat of tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today he is concerned by reports suggesting Washington is considering reimposing tariffs on Canadian metals just as Canada, the United States and Mexico are celebrating the launch of a new free trade deal.

Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Trudeau said he looks forward to congratulating U.S. President Donald Trump on the coming into force of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), also known as CUSMA in Canada.

The free trade agreement between the three North American neighbours officially came into force on July 1, replacing the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

"I think it's really important that at a time of economic strain and stress, we continue to have access to the world's most important market and this is good for Canadian workers and Canadian jobs right across the country," Trudeau said.

"At the same time, we are concerned about the threat of extra tariffs on aluminum and possibly steel. This is something that again is a little difficult to understand, because the United States relies heavily on imports of Canadian aluminum, in particular, for their domestic manufacturing capacity."...

This was excerpted from the 8 July 2020 edition of CBC News.