The CTCC exists to strengthen and increase not only the sizable commercial and trade relationship between Texas and Canada, but also to foster travel, tourism, study and closer relationships overall between us. When the USMCA/CUSMA was ratified by the signatories, the CTCC noted at the time the greatest value provided, after months of rancorous negotiations, was the ending of uncertainty and the opportunity to restore harmony, stability and predictability to the important Canada-US trade relationship.
The CTCC believes it is disingenuous and unacceptable for the US Administration to threaten this restored stability through the sudden, unprompted imposition of Section 232 “national security” tariffs on aluminum from Canada at a time of economic peril, and only days before the USMCA/CUSMA comes into effect.
As Tom Dobbins, the head of the (US) Aluminum Association, states, “There are clear problems with the Section 232 program but efforts to ‘Blame Canada’ miss the mark. To the extent the industry has seen a ‘surge’ in foreign imports in recent years, it has been in flat-rolled aluminum products from countries receiving Section 232 product exclusions. Many of these imports are the subject of ongoing antidumping and countervailing duty cases. Everyone is entitled to their opinion on this issue, but facts are facts. Imports of primary aluminum from Canada today are consistent with long-term trends long pre-dating the imposition of Section 232 tariffs.”
The Aluminum Association has released a useful guide to “myths versus reality” that clarifies the importance of Canadian aluminum to the North American supply chain and to US industry: https://www.aluminum.org/news/great-canadian-aluminum-distraction
Prepared by James Savage, Kingsbrae Global
Last modified: June 24, 2020