SW National Director Marty Warren stated that while the move may appear to be an effort to align with U.S. rules, he has serious doubts about its effectiveness and warned it could further strain the economic landscape.
Warren emphasized that the United States, through its Section 232 tariffs, has exerted pressure across many sectors—including steel, aluminum, copper, and forestry products—undermining CUSMA over time.
“Prime Minister Carney must act now,” Warren stated, calling on the federal government to take steps to protect Canadian workers, strengthen economic resilience, and develop a decisive industrial strategy.
Warren also stressed that the suspension on U.S. steel imports to Canada, announced in April, should be ended, and that such measures must cover all products that can be produced domestically.
Warren further urged the federal government to develop a clear industrial strategy that supports steel, aluminum, forestry, automotive, and other high value-added sectors, while creating union-protected, fairly paid jobs. He underlined that such a strategy must not only safeguard primary production but also prioritize value-added manufacturing and a clean economy.
“Our federal government must put our economic sovereignty at the center of decision-making, particularly when it comes to renegotiating CUSMA and addressing the impacts of Section 232 tariffs,” Warren commented.
The USW represents 225,000 members across nearly every sector of Canada’s economy. With 850,000 members in Canada, the U.S., and the Caribbean, the USW is North America’s largest private-sector union, known for its fight for safer, fairer working conditions and better wages and benefits.
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