Canadian Chamber urges immediate action to lift unjustified tariffs

(OTTAWA) – August 6, 2020 – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Senior Director of International Trade, Mark Agnew, issued the following statement today on the United States’ re-imposition of tariffs on Canadian aluminum exports.

“Canadian exports of aluminum pose absolutely no national security threat to the United States. Canadian aluminum forms a critical part of the U.S. defence industrial base and consequently plays a vital role in our shared defence and security objectives.

Tariffs were the wrong instrument when they were first imposed in 2018, and they remain the wrong instrument now. At a time when our economies are struggling with the economic fallout of COVID-19, these tariffs will only exacerbate disruptions to North American supply chains. Instead of being caught in these distractions, our governments should be working collaboratively through the G7, G20, OECD and WTO to address the root issue of distortive industrial subsidies.

As focus now shifts to Canada’s response, we call on the Deputy Prime Minister to urgently undertake consultations with the business community on the government’s retaliatory response to ensure adverse consequences for Canadian businesses are minimized in this fragile economic context.”


About the Canadian Chamber of Commerce – Because Business Matters

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce helps build the businesses that support our families, our communities and our country. We do this by influencing government policy, by providing essential business services and by connecting businesses to information they can use, to opportunities for growth and to a network of local chambers, businesses, decision-makers and peers from across the country, in every sector of the economy and at all levels of government, as well as internationally. We are unapologetic in our support for business and the vital role it plays in building and sustaining our great nation.

For more information, please contact:
Phil Taylor
ptaylor@chamber.ca (preferred and fastest response time)