OTTAWA/BRUSSELS - Canada's largest private sector union, Unifor, on Wednesday urged the federal government to act without delay to counter the escalating steel and aluminum tariffs initiated by the United States.
The decision by US President Donald Trump to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports to 50 percent is a direct threat to Canadian jobs and economic stability, said the union in a news release.
"These tariffs are killing investment in our steel, aluminum, and auto sectors, and we are already seeing the consequences in lost jobs and economic instability," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "We need immediate and forceful action to defend good jobs and safeguard our national economic security."
The 50 percent tariff, which came into effect on Wednesday, doubles the previous 25 percent duty imposed on Canadian steel and aluminum imports since March 2025.
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Canada remains the largest supplier of both steel and aluminum to the United States. The United States imports approximately a quarter of its steel from Canadian suppliers, while half of all US aluminum consumption originates from Canada.
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy.
US tariff hike threatens trade talks
Also on Wednesday, the European Union's trade chief warned that the United States' decision to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum "clearly doesn't help the ongoing negotiations" and risks undermining recent progress.
European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic made the remarks at a press conference in Paris during the OECD 2025 Ministerial Council Meeting, held Tuesday and Wednesday.
The EU trade chief added that the EU stands ready to defend its interests and will do its utmost to rebalance bilateral trade should negotiations collapse.
Sefcovic said that during a meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, he had told him the EU strongly regrets Washington's decision to raise duties on imported steel and aluminium from 25 percent to 50 percent, effective Wednesday.
"I explained to him that it clearly doesn't help the ongoing negotiations, especially as we are making progress," he said.
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He noted that transatlantic trade accounts for roughly 30 percent of global commerce and warned that if the relationship does not function properly, its repercussions would ripple beyond the two sides and across the global trading system.
