Trade Cases
Canada USW Calls for 'Buy Canadian' After U.S. Kills KXL
Written by Michael Cowden
January 28, 2021
The Biden administration’s cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline has prompted the United Steelworkers union in Canada to prod Ottawa to implement “Buy Canadian” policies in a bid to stem job losses.
“Layoffs and plant closures seem to be the only orders on the books for many Canadian steel plants,” said USW Western Canada Director Stephen Hunt.
“This comes at a time when you have major government infrastructure projects utilizing offshore pipe and rebar instead of using steel manufactured here at home,” he said.
The USW accuses the Canadian government of not giving priority to Canada-made steel in several mega-projects. They include a liquified natural gas plant in Kitimat, B.C.; the replacement of the Pattullo Bridge, also in British Columbia; and replacement lines for a project overseen by SaskEnergy and TC Energy.
TC Energy, previously known as TransCanada, is the company behind the Keystone XL pipeline. President Biden revoked the permit for the pipeline, which was to transmit oil from Canada’s tar sands to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico, on environmental grounds.
“I call on the Prime Minister and Premiers across the country to ‘Stand Up for Steel’ by implementing procurement policies to ‘Buy Canadian’ for all major infrastructure projects,” Hunt said. “We must do more to protect our manufacturing industries in Canada as we cannot afford more job losses.”
Hunt’s call echoes pronouncements made in the United States by the USW, domestic steelmakers and the Biden administration concerning “Buy American” laws. Those rules, first passed in the wake of the Great Depression, stipulate that U.S.-made products be given preference in government-funded infrastructure work.
The USW represents more than 11,000 workers in the Canadian steel industry.
By Michael Cowden, Michael@SteelMarketUpdate.com
Michael Cowden
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