Canadian Steel Future
United Steelworkers Welcome Tariff Extension, Urge Further Action for Canadian Steel Jobs
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Canada's federal government will extend its steel tariff rate quota (TRQ) framework for another year, and the country's largest steel union says it's not enough. GlobeNewswire reported that United Steelworkers National Director Marty Warren welcomed the extension on June 5, 2026 — but immediately called for tighter quotas and broader tariffs to protect the roughly 23,000 direct jobs in the Canadian steel sector.
The TRQ framework, first put in place on June 27, 2025, acts as a safety valve. It lets a set volume of steel imports enter Canada at low or zero duty. Anything above that threshold gets hit with a 50% surtax. The extension keeps that system running through mid-2027 — but the USW says the quotas themselves are set too high.
How the U.S. Tariff Shock Forced Canada's Hand
The crisis started on June 4, 2025, when President Donald Trump doubled U.S. Section 232 tariffs on Canadian steel to 50%. That effectively shut Canadian producers out of their biggest export market. Historically, Canadian mills sent more than 50% of their output south of the border. With that market gone overnight, foreign steel from other countries began flooding into Canada instead — a process called trade diversion.
Canada responded fast. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the original TRQ framework within weeks. By December 2025, the government added a 25% global surtax on steel derivative products — things like screws, nails, and fabricated parts. In May 2026, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced a $1.5 billion federal support package, including $1 billion in loans through the Business Development Bank of Canada.
USW Calls TRQ Extension 'Welcome but Not Enough'
Warren did not mince words. He called the extension "welcome news" but warned that global conditions have "worsened" since the quotas were first set in 2025. The USW argues that the current quota levels are based on 2024 import volumes — a year when trade flows were already heavily distorted. Tightening the quotas, the union says, would push more domestic market share toward Canadian mills.
The union is also pushing the government to expand the list of steel derivative products subject to surtaxes. More products on that list means less room for cheap imports and more revenue for Canadian producers. Recorder noted that the USW framed this as protecting not just steelworkers but the broader Canadian manufacturing base, from auto parts to infrastructure.
Steel Producers Warn of a Loophole Undermining the Policy
Canadian Steel Producers Association CEO Catherine Cobden agrees the TRQs are necessary — but she has a different concern. She argues the government's remission program is a "weak link" that waters down the protection. Remissions let importers skip the tariff if they can prove the steel they need isn't available in Canada. Cobden says this loophole prevents the policy from working as intended.
The USW's "Stand Up for Steel" lobby day in Ottawa on April 23, 2026, drew national attention after the union warned of an "existential crisis" for the sector. Cochrane Times Post reported that steel imports have at times accounted for up to 60% of the Canadian market — a figure the union says is unsustainable without stronger trade walls.
Stakes Are High with CUSMA Review Starting July 1
The timing of the extension is no accident. The formal review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, known as CUSMA, begins July 1, 2026. Canada's protective steel measures give it leverage at the negotiating table. The trade war has already cost an estimated 1,000 direct steel jobs. Without a deal, that number could grow.
Champagne framed the extension in broad terms, saying: "Supporting Canada's steel and aluminum industry means strengthening our regional economies and the future of shared prosperity." But for Warren and the USW, the real test is what comes next. The extension buys time. Tighter quotas and expanded derivative surtaxes, they say, are what will actually save jobs.
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