The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has issued the following press release on the U.S. Administration announcement concerning tariffs…

Temporary Exemption From U.S. Tariffs Should be Permanent

For Immediate Release

Ottawa, March 8, 2018 — While the Canadian Chamber welcomes the temporary exemption extended to Canada today on U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs by the U.S. Administration, the waiver must be made permanent and not be linked to the outcome of the NAFTA negotiations.

“Canada should be exempt from these tariffs, fully and without condition. We are a partner of the United States in NATO and NORAD, and Canada’s steel and aluminum industries provide a critical source of supply for American businesses and for American defence needs. Far from being a problem for the U.S., we are their ally, their supplier and their customer,” said the Hon. Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. “Holding any threat over Canada’s head does nothing to address the real issue of dumping.”

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce applauds the Government of Canada’s ongoing work to obtain a Canadian exemption, and we are grateful for the strong support provided by so many U.S. political and business leaders.

“It’s in everyone’s interest to reach a fair and workable agreement on NAFTA. Linking the steel and aluminum issue to the trade agreement negotiations will only serve as a distraction, making it more difficult to achieve our shared objective of a modernized NAFTA,” said Mr. Beatty.

The Canadian Chamber remains concerned that these new U.S. tariffs will result in diversion of steel and aluminum from affected countries into Canada. We encourage the Government of Canada to ensure that steel and aluminum are not dumped into Canada, and that the Canadian Border Security Agency is appropriately staffed, resourced and financed to deal with this issue.

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The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the vital connection between business and the federal government. It helps shape public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families across Canada with a network of over 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 200,000 businesses of all sizes in all sectors of the economy and in all regions. News and information are available at Chamber.ca or follow us on Twitter @CdnChamberofCom

Contact:

Guillaum W. Dubreuil
Senior Director, Public Affairs and Media Relations
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
613.797.1860
gdubreuil@chamber.ca