U.S. considers tariffs on Canadian aluminum imports

The Trump administration is considering reimposing tariffs on aluminum imported from Canada, despite agreeing to drop the tariffs during negotiations for the USMCA. Trade experts say that doing so would likely result in retaliatory tariffs from Canada. According to the Aluminum Association, even at full capacity, U.S. primary aluminum smelters can only meet one-third of the nation’s demand. Additionally, the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) wrote to President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau requesting that both countries refrain from imposing trade penalties on aluminum and aluminum products originating from one another’s countries. According to MSCI, “The U.S. and Canada should target penalties toward nonmarket countries like China, which have routinely and flagrantly thwarted international and U.S. trade laws.”