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Canadian steelmakers call for protection after US adds derivatives to S232

Written by Laura Miller

August 21, 2025

The Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) expressed dismay upon the news that the Trump administration had added over 400 products to the list of derivative products covered by the 50% Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Derivative products whose steel and aluminum content are now subject to 50% tariffs include agricultural equipment, heaters, air conditioners, propane tanks, cutlery, machinery, and more.

“This action is another blow to the integrated economy our two countries have built over the last several decades and will impact the manufacturing of steel-containing products in Canada destined for the United States,” CSPA President and CEO Catherine Cobden said in a statement.

CSPA called for increased government action to protect the Canadian steel industry, including strengthening tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) and enforcing stricter controls on indirect steel trade.

“We are calling on the government of Canada to protect the domestic steel industry by standing strong in the face of these unjustified US steel tariffs and applying a 50% tariff on all US steel entering Canada,” Cobden said. “This action includes immediately ending the ill-advised April reprieve on US steel used in manufacturing and processing.”

“The time for action is now,” she stated.

CSPA represents 17 member companies, among them Algoma Steel, ArcelorMittal, Atlas Tube, Nova Steel, Stelco, and Welded Tube of Canada.

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. Since 2007, she has held various editorial and marketing positions with steel industry publications, associations, and mills. In 2021, after a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel trade journalism, joining SMU in 2022. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.

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