On May 30, President Trump announced a doubling of steel tariffs to 50%, stating this would further secure the U.S. steel industry.

“Nobody’s going to get around that,” the president said during a rally held in Pennsylvania. The higher rates, which also apply to aluminum products, take effect on June 4.

Over the weekend, Canadian ministers reacted to Trump's decision to double tariffs on metal imports, though Prime Minister Mark Carney has yet to comment.

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It is my great honor to raise the Tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%, effective Wednesday, June 4th. Our steel and aluminum industries are coming back like never before. This will be yet another BIG jolt of great news for our wonderful steel and aluminum workers. MAKE…

— Trump Posts on 𝕏 (@trump_repost) May 30, 2025

On Friday, Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who oversees Canada–U.S. trade relations, said Ottawa is aware of Trump’s trade remarks and remains committed to protecting Canadian workers and communities.

Mélanie Joly, LeBlanc’s Industry counterpart, noted that Canada is "fighting" the "unjustified and unlawful tariffs" through retaliatory measures, domestic support, and trade diversification.

Canada is the largest supplier of both commodities to the U.S., though it also imports a significant amount of steel from its southern neighbour.

Bilateral steel trade is $20 billion annually, with Canada providing 75% of U.S. aluminum imports. These sectors employ 150,000 Canadians, with steel production centered in Hamilton, Ontario, and aluminum in Quebec.

Joly today laying out her 3 step plan to save the steel & aluminum industry if Trump goes ahead with a 25% tariff increase. If you worked in the steel & aluminum industry in Canada, how much confidence would you in Joly? Because each time I hear her speak I feel like she is… pic.twitter.com/2BR0PAJ1wR

— Ryan Gerritsen🇨🇦🇳🇱 (@ryangerritsen) June 2, 2025

Back in February, President Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum for the second time in seven years. Similar 25% tariffs in a 2018 trade war devastated Canadian businesses and exports, according to the Department of Industry.

A White House fact sheet dated February 11 stated that Trump used Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, citing the protection of U.S. national security.

The first set of tariffs targeted $16.6 billion worth of Canadian steel exports and $9 billion of aluminum exports, reported the Globe and Mail. Steel exports then dropped nearly 40%, and aluminum by more than half thereafter.

Business leaders cautioned that tens of thousands of jobs were at risk, Blacklock’s reported. A CBC News report predicts 17,700 job losses this year in the metal industries.

"If it's made in the United States, there is no tariff... We don't need it from another country, as an example, Canada."

President Trump signs an executive order announcing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum entering the U.S. pic.twitter.com/3gHUviwP9n

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) February 11, 2025

In February, Trump gave Canada a 30-day reprieve from tariffs on all exports in exchange for tightened border security, excluding Canadian steel and aluminum. Ottawa retaliated with $29.8 billion in tariffs on American goods.

On March 17, then-Industry Minister Anita Anand urged recipients of federal Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada funding to prioritize Canadian steel and aluminum over U.S. products in their projects "wherever relevant and possible."

National unemployment rose to 6.9% in April, with manufacturing and retail seeing significant job losses, which economists attribute to the impact of U.S. tariffs.

Manufacturing saw 30,600 job losses (a 1.6% decrease from March), while wholesale and retail trade experienced 26,800 fewer jobs (a 0.9% drop), according to Statistics Canada.