TORONTO – The United Steelworkers (USW) union again helped protect Canada’s steel industry from dumping by several Chinese steel manufacturers, which make forged grinding media, essentially large steel ball bearings used to crush ore and rock.
As a result of the USW’s intervention before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, the federal government imposed initial tariffs of between 35% and 65% on these companies’ exports. Future imports will be subject to a duty of more than 100%, effectively preventing new entrants into the market.
“Steelworkers will actively participate in trade tribunals to keep steel and other products being dumped into Canada,” said national director Marty Warren. “We’ll work with Canadian producers to protect Canadian jobs through making trade fair.”
But it’s anything but. The government found one major exporter—and China produces more than 80% of Canadian steel imports—had a dumping margin of almost 65%. A collection of smaller producers had an average dumping margin of 95%. (A dumping margin of 95% means something that should cost $195 is imported at just $100.)
In its statement to the tribunal, the USW noted the substantial overcapacity in the global steel market—largely due to Chinese overproduction. Since 2021, global demand for steel has steadily declined, but production has increased every year since 2019 and is forecast to grow through 2028. Overcapacity is particularly acute in grinding balls, driven by declines in Chinese mining.
USW Local 1-417, which represents about 50 workers at Molycop in Kamloops, B.C., also made a statement to the tribunal outlining how dumping harmed workers.
“Plants like Molycop’s are in the crosshairs of aggressive Chinese dumping,” said Warren. “Steelworkers will continue to aggressively fight dumped steel replacing Canadian products made by Canadian workers. And we’ll continue to win.”
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