The U.S. government will reimpose a 10% tariff on some aluminium imports from Canada as of Aug. 16, U.S. President Donald Trump announced during a campaign event at a Whirlpool plant in Clyde, Ohio, on August 6.
In response to the U.S. president’s announcement, the Canadian government has said that it will impose a $3.6 billion (US$2.7 billion) tariff on U.S. aluminium products starting from Sept. 16. In a written statement on Aug. 7, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland promised “to swiftly impose dollar-for-dollar countermeasures.”
Trump’s 10% tariff will be levied on unwrought, unalloyed aluminium produced at smelters but does not apply to imports of downstream aluminium products, the U.S. president said, noting that the tariffs were reinstated to defend U.S. aluminium producers from cheaper products from Canada.