KITIMAT (NEWS 1130) — The U.S. decision to impose new tariffs on Canadian aluminum is a letdown, in the view of Kitimat’s mayor.
Phil Germuth said he is disappointed by the U.S. decision to impose tariffs on Canadian aluminum, as that industry provides around one thousand direct jobs in his community.
“Of course we’re disappointed in the U.S. government’s decision to impose a 10-per-cent tariff on aluminum products import from Canada,” he said. “Not surprised, again, but very disappointed, of course.”
Kitimat is home to the newly modernized Rio Tinto aluminum smelter, which the company says employs 1,100 workers and pumped more than $533 million into the B.C. economy in 2018.
“Aluminum has been the anchor of this community for over 60 years. Rio Tinto BC Works just spent $5 billion several years ago modernizing the smelter to basically secure the aluminum industry for the next 60-plus years as the old smelter was basically at the end of its life-term. So if anything major happened to the aluminum industry, it would be a major negative impact on this community,” Germuth added.
“We are going to continue to support RioTinto BC Works in any way we can and we’re optimistic that this is only going to be temporary. But we’ll have to see.”
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Premier John Horgan was also disappointed by the aluminum tariffs.
A statement from the premier’s office says Canadian aluminum exports do not harm the U.S. market and the tariffs will do more harm to the American economy.
“It is unfortunate that the U.S. is taking this step at a time when our countries should be celebrating the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement and working together to help each other economically recover from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” Horgan adds.
The federal government responded to the tariffs Friday by placing $3.6 billion in retaliatory levies on American goods.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada will match the tariff cost dollar-for-dollar, potentially targeting U.S. imports of washing machines, golf clubs, or exercise equipment.