Poilievre backs steel and aluminum sector in demanding Canada act swiftly on Chinese tariff package
CTV
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the federal government to slap tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, steel, aluminum, critical minerals and other products, backing calls from industry for Canada to act in alignment with its allies.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the federal government to slap tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, steel, aluminum, critical minerals and other products, backing calls from industry for Canada to act in alignment with its allies.
China, through massive subsidies and exploiting weak environmental and labour standards, are producing "artificially cheap steel, aluminum and EVs," Poilievre said.
"They're doing this with the goal of crushing our steel, our aluminum, and our automotive production, and taking our jobs away," the Conservative leader said, behind a "bring home our jobs" placard and in front of Stelco steel workers in Hamilton, Ont. on Friday.
Poilievre is calling for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to effectively match the tariff package proposed by this country's largest trading partner, the United States. Under his proposal, Canada would introduce:
"Trudeau has failed to protect our workers," Poilievre said.
The proposal echoes calls made in Ottawa on Thursday by leaders in Canada's steel and aluminum industries, who urged the federal government to quickly impose a new tariff package targeting Chinese goods.
The United States and Mexico have already advanced trade action against China, and there are concerns that if the federal government doesn't follow suit, Canada could become a dumping ground for those imports.
