US Aluminium tariff needs to be countered by Dairy products: Confederation of National Trade Unions, Canada

The CSN-affiliated Federation of Manufacturing holds that if the United States rebuffs to withdraw the 10% tariff recently imposed on Canadian aluminium than the Canada Government should tentatively end the planned opening in the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) for dairy products and those under the auspices of the supply management system.

The union which claims its presence in the Quebec aluminium industry believes that a temporary return to supply management before the CUSMA would have a remarkable impact in agricultural states like Wisconsin, which recalls they are important electoral targets for President Donald Trump.

Michel Desbiens, President of the National Union of Aluminum Employees of Baie-Comeau-CSN, adds: “If Canada can no longer count on its long-standing ally, it must take the means to force the United States to settle this unjustified conflict.”

The Federation of the Manufacturing Industry maintains that the drop in the world price of aluminium can be explained to a large extent by China flooding the North American market with its aluminium transited through Mexico, a country that produces very little.

The union recalls that the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement provides for 70% of North American aluminium in the production of automobiles. The significant arrival of Chinese aluminium by Mexico compromises this objective and endangers the security of the North American supply, according to the Federation.