Canada
March 12, 2026
Canadian steelmakers call for tariff-free trade one year into tariff turmoil
Written by Laura Miller
A year after being blindsided by hefty tariffs from its top trading partner, Canadian steelmakers are renewing their call for tariff-free trade between the US and Canada.
The Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) highlighted in a March 12 statement how the US steel tariff regime has targeted Canada for a year now and disrupted decades of cross-border supply chains.
“One year into the United States’ unjust imposition of tariffs on Canadian steel, we are renewing our urgent call for a return to stable, predictable, tariff-free trade between our two countries,” stated CSPA President and CEO Catherine Cobden.
“Rather than this damaging trade war between our two nations,” she continued, “we should deepen our work together to fight the scourge that is state-sponsored global overcapacity while allowing for tariff-free trade inside our perimeter to strengthen our integrated North American supply chains.”
CSPA pointed out how Canada’s federal government has been taking steps to better align with US policy to combat unfairly traded imports. Measures taken include a 25% tax on direct and indirect imports of Chinese steel, a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system limiting non-USMCA imports, a 25% derivative tariff, and a dedicated steel compliance team.
The association said it will “diligently monitor these measures to ensure their effectiveness.”
“Moving forward,” CSPA added, “the federal government must ensure that the US Section 232 sectoral tariffs are resolved as CUSMA (USMCA) discussions unfold over the months ahead.”
