Trump Trade Sanctions Aimed at China Could Ensnare Canada
- 6 years ago
Trump Trade Sanctions Aimed at China Could Ensnare Canada
The countries have clashed over the North American Free Trade Agreement, American tariffs on Canadian lumber,
and Canada’s recent complaint to the World Trade Organization about American trade practices.
Canada also made up the largest share of American steel imports in 2016 — 17 percent — followed by Brazil, South Korea, Mexico and Turkey.
The measures could fall particularly hard on South Korea, which was named as one of the countries
that would face a 53 percent tariff on its steel exports, along with China, Brazil, India, Russia, Turkey and six others, under one potential scenario in the report.
“From a defense perspective, it makes no sense to limit imports from Canada in the future,” said Alf Barrios,
the chief executive of Rio Tinto Aluminum, which exports aluminum from Canada to the United States.
“There is no justification to include Canada with countries
that systematically violate trade laws and engage in the dumping of illegally subsidized aluminum and steel,” he said after the release of the Commerce Department report.
The countries have clashed over the North American Free Trade Agreement, American tariffs on Canadian lumber,
and Canada’s recent complaint to the World Trade Organization about American trade practices.
Canada also made up the largest share of American steel imports in 2016 — 17 percent — followed by Brazil, South Korea, Mexico and Turkey.
The measures could fall particularly hard on South Korea, which was named as one of the countries
that would face a 53 percent tariff on its steel exports, along with China, Brazil, India, Russia, Turkey and six others, under one potential scenario in the report.
“From a defense perspective, it makes no sense to limit imports from Canada in the future,” said Alf Barrios,
the chief executive of Rio Tinto Aluminum, which exports aluminum from Canada to the United States.
“There is no justification to include Canada with countries
that systematically violate trade laws and engage in the dumping of illegally subsidized aluminum and steel,” he said after the release of the Commerce Department report.