TORONTO – The United Steelworkers (USW) welcomes a Canadian Border Services Agency investigation into the dumping of concrete reinforcing bar (rebar) from Belarus, Chinese Taipei, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, Japan, Portugal and Spain. The USW also welcomes the inquiry by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) into the question of injury to the Canadian industry.
The complaint initiated by Canadian steel producers AltaSteel Ltd., ArcelorMittal and Gerdau Ameristeel Corp., follows on last year’s successful imposition of duties against China, South Korea and Turkey for the illegal dumping of rebar in the Canadian market.
The USW represents workers at Altasteel in Edmonton, Gerdau in Selkirk, Man., and Whitby, Ont., as well as ArcelorMittal operations in Hamilton and in Contrecoeur, Que. Canada’s steel industry directly employs more than 20,000 Canadians and indirectly supports more than 100,000 other jobs across the country.
“With a level playing field Canadian workers can compete with anyone in the world,” said Ken Neumann, USW National Director for Canada.
“Illegal dumping is a race to the bottom, whether it’s wages, working conditions, health and safety of workers or the environment. Defending Canadian workers should be Canada’s trade priority,” Neumann said.
The United Steelworkers continues to press the federal government to strengthen and modernize Canada’s outdated trade remedy system.
Much-needed reforms include allowing trade unions to participate fully in the remedy process, including filing trade complaints to better represent the interests of Canadian working families, Neumann said. Similar provisions are available to workers and their unions in the United States and numerous other countries, he noted.
Ken Neumann, USW National Director for Canada, 416-544-5951
Bob Gallagher, USW Communications, 416-544-5966, 416-434 2221, bgallagher@usw.ca
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