US President Donald Trump said Thursday he reimposed tariffs on aluminum imports from Canada, claiming Ottawa has been dumping into US markets.
Addressing supporters at a Whirlpool manufacturing plant in Ohio, Trump accused the Canadian government of reneging on a commitment to ensure its industry "would not flood our country with exports and kill all our aluminum jobs," saying he had already signed a proclamation entering the penalties into effect.
"Canadian aluminum producers have broken that commitment and the US trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, has advised me that this step to reimpose tariffs is absolutely necessary to defend our aluminum industry," he said in a speech that read like a campaign rally.
"To be a strong nation America must be a manufacturing nation, and not be led by a bunch of fools."
Trump initially imposed 10% import duties on Canada in 2018 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act over alleged national security concerns, but removed them in 2019 as part of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that took effect July 1.
Comments