The U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum products from Canada may have only just gone into effect, but manufacturers north of the border say they have been feeling the impacts for weeks. CBC’s Greg Ross explains.
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NewsTranscript
00:00So you can just drive it forward.
00:02It hasn't exactly been business as usual at Conquest Steel in North York.
00:06They build landscaping products from steel.
00:09We're a Canadian company first and foremost
00:11but I would say that approximately 20% of our business was from the U.S. and was increasing.
00:18Screw on the outside.
00:19But that all stopped a couple of months ago
00:21after U.S. President Donald Trump made it clear
00:24he intended to tariff aluminum and steel products coming from Canada.
00:28Well before the tariffs were finalized
00:30we received cancellations from our American customers
00:33trapping a lot of inventory
00:34and our Canadian distributors decided to hold off taking new orders
00:39and shipping to the U.S. just due to the uncertainty.
00:41Conquest Steel has 12 employees.
00:44So far they've managed to avoid any layoffs.
00:47In places like Hamilton where thousands of steel workers are employed
00:51many are bracing for the worst.
00:53We're scared.
00:54Like I'm getting ready to retire in the next few years.
00:57I might be forced into retirement early.
00:59It is just a function of time.
01:01How long can we go?
01:02And then you know certainly the longer we're in this type of state
01:07the probably we will experience some job losses.
01:10But none thus far.
01:11Certainly among the fabrication shops in Canada.
01:14Things could get a lot worse before they get better.
01:16The Canadian government has announced its own tariffs on U.S. steel.
01:20A measure many in the industry believe is necessary.
01:23We do support the retaliatory tariffs.
01:25The Americans need to feel pain.
01:27We can't just roll over and experience all the pain ourselves.
01:31That is going to increase costs for businesses like Richmond Steel and Hamilton.
01:36They have been importing all of their products from the U.S.
01:40Like most companies we tried to preemptive strike
01:43and brought in a lot more steel prior to not sure what was going to happen.
01:48And that way we have a lot more stock on the floor at this time.
01:52Not sure how long they're going to last.
01:55They've already started the process of looking elsewhere for suppliers.
01:59Now we're looking for to European markets
02:01for some of the grades that we used to import with success.
02:04Ideally these companies are hopeful that some sort of deal can be reached
02:08between Canada and the U.S.
02:10that would see all tariffs on steel and aluminum products lifted.
02:14Greg Ross, CBC News, Toronto.