Canada
June 4, 2026
CSPA: One-year of US tariff increases mark ‘unfortunate milestone’
Written by Kristen DiLandro
Catherine Cobden, president and CEO of the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA), called the past year’s 50% tariff imposed on Canada’s steel exports to the US ‘severe and unsustainable.’
The CSPA’s June 4 statement marks the anniversary of President Trump’s 50% tariff on steel coming into the US from Canada and Mexico.
“Canada’s steel industry has now weathered a full year of the United States’ 50% tariff on Canadian steel exports… despite our tried-and-true partnership, Canadian steel producers have faced punitive tariffs that have disrupted our supply chains, threatened our jobs and harmed our communities,” Cobden wrote.
The head of the CSPA continued, “The steel tariffs remain difficult to justify.”
She said the US continues to need tens of millions of metric tons of imported steel to meet its own market needs.
“Canadian steel has been the largest steel supplier to the United States prior to the trade war and our shipments have now plummeted by 60% in 2025,” Cobden said.
During President Trump’s first term in 2020, the three North American countries formed a trade pact called the US-Mexico-Canada agreement (USMCA). (It’s the Canada-United States-Mexico agreement (CUSMA) in Canada.) As part of the agreement, the countries formalized a review on July 1, 2026, when partners would assess whether they felt the agreement was effective or whether it needed alterations.
A key part of the agreement deals with global overcapacity of steelmaking its way onto the continent from countries like China. Stringent measures proving steel origin were set forth in the agreement, and yet all three North American nations contend that circumvention remains an issue.
In the same CSPA statement, Canada highlights its enhanced efforts to crack down on countries that aren’t complying with USMCA requirements.
“Canada has adopted trade policy responses that protect our domestic market from unfair trade in primary and derivative steel products that take direct aim at global overcapacity from China,” Cobden said. “The government of Canada has also adopted stringent melted and poured monitoring on all imports entering the country and significantly increased investments in border enforcement.”
Catherine Cobden informed the CSPA board that she is leaving her role on July 31 this year.
