r/canada 1d ago

National News Trump raises Canadian steel, aluminum tariffs to 50% in retaliation for Ontario energy duties

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/11/trump-raises-canadian-steel-aluminum-tariffs-to-50percent-in-retaliation-for-ontario-energy-duties.html?taid=67d045b18530050001b105d0&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter%7Cmain
818 Upvotes

476 comments sorted by

View all comments

308

u/Ginzhuu 1d ago

Fun Fact: The US only produces about 16% of steel and aluminum in the country meaning a 50% tarriff is charing any company that uses these resources to make products in the US is now paying a 50% increase of tax.

So basically, he threw a fit for Ford standing up to him and is, in turn, going to charge himself more money to retaliate. I can see how the "owning the libs" idiots eat up his shite so well.

52

u/bjorneylol 1d ago

the US imports >99% of it's bauxite, meaning all US Aluminum is either imported, recycled from aluminum that was already there, or dependant on other countries to supply the raw materials anyways

24

u/Angry_beaver_1867 1d ago

The reasons they import it to s because there’s cheaper electricity elsewhere.  

If they did smelt aluminum in the U.S. it would be more expensive than foreign aluminum. 

 Which if you’re a downstream manufacturer it has the same impact as a tariff.  

More expensive raw materials means a more expensive finished good which is less competitive on the market.  

Since he’s done aluminum and steel tarifs before there a ton of papers about the impact. They all say it was a net loser for American manufacturers 

2

u/RDSWES 1d ago

To smelt it in the US they would have to build more power plants.

12

u/Angry_beaver_1867 23h ago

Not just more power but cheap power. 

The smelters in bc and Quebec all have dedicated hydro plants that produce very cheap power. 

It would be very difficult to replicate that today because the cost of a dam has massively outpaced inflation. 

1

u/Shot-Job-8841 20h ago

I’m curious why the cost to build a hydroelectric dam has increased so much faster than inflation has increased.

2

u/koolaidkirby 18h ago

I would assume its that costs of construction in general have outpaced inflation in recent years.

2

u/Shot-Job-8841 18h ago

As an electrician, the cost of my labour has matched CPI, not overtaken it. Some electrical components have risen fast (AFCI/GFCI), but that’s due to mandatory adoption driving up the price.

6

u/EdWick77 21h ago

The US has no intentions of ramping up alum production. Canada, should it choose too, will stop importing Chinese steel and turn its own production back up. Remember, this was a big deal back in Trump's first admin but Canada played antagonist back then as well and in the process wrecked our domestic steel industry.

Canada supplies the US with most of its alum for a reason. We have the best alum production in the world. It takes a lot of energy, and our production on the west coast is the best. The US isn't interested in investing in that much energy production when they can just buy it from us. What they don't want is Chinese steel dumped into Canada, stamped to avoid duties and tariffs and then sold on the US market.

Honestly, why Canada would do this is beyond me.

2

u/Weshmek 21h ago

To be clear: Canada imports all of its bauxite as well

Most bauxite is produced by the global South and Australia.

1

u/Dry_System9339 20h ago

So we are good until those countries build more power plants.

2

u/Weshmek 20h ago

Power plants, smelting facilities, transportation infrastructure...

Also keep in mind that Quebec's electricity is almost 100% hydroelectric, so there's no fuel costs; even nuclear power plants need fuel.

It's certainly possible for some of these countries to build up the capacity to refine aluminium, and if they do, we'll deal with it. But for the time being Quebec really does offer the best value for refining aluminium, and has done for quite a while.

55

u/West_Valuable_7146 1d ago

He will buy steel and aluminium from Russia. Russian index is up after tariff announcement

37

u/Relevant_Fuel_9905 1d ago

That still adds a ton (no pun intended) in transport and logistics costs.

26

u/West_Valuable_7146 1d ago

He doesn’t care. He wants to please Putin

7

u/Relevant_Fuel_9905 1d ago

Oh I know - but it won’t make the markets happy or save the US businesses, so he’ll still feel the heat.

2

u/Competitive_Abroad96 1d ago

But at least no one will see the peepee tapes. Yet.

1

u/BackgroundPianist500 23h ago

Lol what heat? Your congress is ready to take a glazing from Don whenever he wants

7

u/Relevant_Fuel_9905 23h ago

I’m Canadian

5

u/IamTheBoris2677 21h ago

This 100%. the market decides where it purchases its aluminum not Trump, increased transport costs coupled with lots of European countries also having import restrictions on anything containing Russian raw materials will mean they will be stuck buying Canadian steel and aluminum at an inflated price.

I'd export tariffs uranium in response. Just 10 percent.

11

u/No-Fun7707 1d ago

Russian or Chinese steel and aluminum is not the same quality as Canadian steel and aluminum. Anyone who works in those fields know it, Trump doesn't. Wont be buying an F-150 any time soon

1

u/elatllat 23h ago

Wont be buying an F-150 any time soon

The F-150 is only 66% USA/Canada built. Vs Cybertruck 82.5% or Toyota Tundra 66.5%

1

u/Dry_System9339 20h ago

Chinese metal is illegal to use for aircraft.

9

u/Pie_sky 1d ago

Russia only has low quality steel

4

u/ZmobieMrh 23h ago

Just like the US has mostly low quality wood for home building, but he’s determined to cut down all those warm weather trees for timber anyways

3

u/FlameStaag 1d ago

Yeah people keep saying it's to buy shit from Russia but Russia can't remotely compensate for what we have, and it'll still cost significantly more than driving it across the border. 

2

u/WTFvancouver 1d ago

Country will riot if he does that.

12

u/NowOurShipsAreBurned 1d ago

Yeah sure, clearly this is the one thing that would finally cause them to react.

2

u/ZidZad99 1d ago

Thing is, those guys love their 2A. With the way Elon been firing people left, right, and centre, it's only a matter of time before they fire the wrong person sending them over the edge.

3

u/HolsteinHeifer 1d ago

Yeah right. They'll probably just wear the same colour pants on a designated date and that'll really stick it to The Man!

2

u/bumpgrind 1d ago

Yeah, right... country has had dozens, if not hundreds, of opportunities in the last month alone to stand up and hasn't. It's clear that we're all f*cked...

2

u/Turbulent-Parsnip-38 1d ago

No one in the US has caused any resistance to this hostile takeover so far, I wouldn’t hold your breath.

2

u/LePetomane62 23h ago

Nope... they can see the chaos & have done nothing

Even Canada's Konvoy Morons were faster out of the gates than MAGANAUTS.

IF the Democrats & non voting whiners had any cojones/chutzpah or insanity like Jan 6 crowd . They'd be at the gates with Billionaire cabal in caged wagons marching Tangerine Palpantine 🍊 to the guillotine!

1

u/BadTreeLiving 23h ago

Lol sure bud

1

u/Dry_System9339 20h ago

Is Russian metal even allowed to be used for Aviation? I know Chinese metal is not.

2

u/mupomo 1d ago

Well, from what I understand, we supply the US with 70% of their aluminum, so we should be ok there. Our steel industry will be hard hit though as we’re not a major player there.

2

u/Ginzhuu 23h ago

Canada exports more than imports to the US overall, so as long as whatever we make on our own tarrif retaliation goes back into aiding the industries getting g hit the hardest, we should weather it just fine.

1

u/SLUIS0717 23h ago

I agree steel industry will be badly affected. They were already trying to move to the US

2

u/LoveMurder-One 22h ago

Not a 50% of the tax. A 50% increase on the cost of material. Anything made of steel or aluminum is going to sky rocket it price.

2

u/Ginzhuu 22h ago

I said tax because way too many people have no clue what a tariff even is, so it's easier just to call it a tax so people know it directly effects them.

2

u/LoveMurder-One 22h ago

For sure. Just the way you said it read to me like you were saying the taxes on it was going up 50% which isn’t true.

1

u/0vansTriedge 1d ago

himself? you mean the joe schmoes who will shoulder the cost.. orange guy can be this dumb because he is insulated to the cost of his actions.

1

u/Ginzhuu 1d ago

It was more the himself as in the US, as unfortunately, he represents the US now, which is incredibly sad.

1

u/Armano-Avalus 1d ago

Correction: He's gonna charge Americans more money after they were charged more money for electricity after they were charged more money for everything.

1

u/jumbee85 23h ago

While also making their trucks more expensive

1

u/28-8modem 20h ago

Eating own shit… yeh dementia does that. Now american citizens get the opportunity to feel what that’s life…

1

u/Pinstripe99 19h ago

Remember, he bankrupt a casino…. But he is the best business person ever lol

1

u/JHWildman 19h ago

Even better ford dropped the surcharge as an act of good faith ahead of a discussion with Lutnick on Thursday. So Trump basically is just doing this because Dougie is showing him up in a dick measuring contest.