On February 1, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on all Canadian exports and a 10% tariff on Canadian energy products, threatening thousands of Canadian jobs and disrupting North American supply chains. The federal government responded with $30 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, with plans for an additional $125 billion in countermeasures.
Just hours before these measures took effect, the federal government secured a 30-day reprieve, delaying implementation. While this provides temporary relief, the threat remains.
As many as 50-55% of USW members in Canada work in sectors that will be affected by the possible tariffs. Steelworkers in Canada and the U.S. have fought back against reckless trade measures before, and we will do so again to ensure strong policies that protect and grow Canadian jobs and industries.
News
All In on Solidarity: United Steelworkers International union united against Trump tariffs
April 10, 2025| Media Releases
LAS VEGAS, NV –Canadian Steelworkers joined thousands of delegates from across the United States and the Caribbean at the 2025 United Steelworkers union (USW) International Convention where a strong and bold resolution calling for fair trade and an end to Trump’s reckless tariffs on Canadian goods was unanimously adopted. As Trump’s administration moves to impose […]
United Steelworkers union vows to fight back as Trump’s trade war now targets steel and aluminum jobs
March 11, 2025| Media Releases
TORONTO – The United Steelworkers union (USW) is denouncing the latest escalation in Donald Trump’s reckless trade war as the U.S. government imposes devastating 50% tariffs on U.S. imports of steel and aluminum from Canada. These measures, effective after midnight, threaten the existence of the Canadian steel industry and thousands of Canadian jobs, disrupt vital […]
Canada must hit back hard against Trump’s reckless tariffs
March 7, 2025| News Articles
The United Steelworkers union (USW) is stepping up its fight against U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Canadian exports, calling them a reckless economic attack that threatens workers, their families and the communities that depend on the jobs under attack by the U.S. president. “These tariffs are a direct assault on Canadian workers and […]
USW leaders, local union presidents and staff have been outspoken in the media, defending our members’ jobs and pushing governments to take action against the reckless U.S. tariffs.
Feb. 10, 2025, CBC Vancouver
USW National Office Researcher Guio Jacinto on what happened when Trump first imposed tariffs in 2018
Feb. 10, 2025, CBC News Network
USW District 6 Director Kevon Stewart on what tariffs could do to Canada’s steel industry
“Let’s be clear: these tariffs are reckless, unfounded, and harmful to both Canadian and American workers. This is not about fair trade; it’s about political posturing at the expense of good-paying jobs.”
