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September 14, 2020

Governors Oppose President’s Tariffs On Canadian Aluminum

As the Canadian government edges closer to implementing penalties in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s decision to reimpose 10 percent tariffs on the country’s aluminum products, U.S. governors in border states have asked the president to reconsider his policy.

As Maine’s Press Herald reported, on September 8, that state’s Gov. Janet Mills, along with New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, wrote a letter to the White House that “highlighted the longstanding bilateral trade relationship between New England and Canada, which they said was strengthened by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that went into effect this summer.” The governors noted that about half of all trade for Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine companies is conducted with Canada.

As Connecting the Dots reported previously, the U.S. tariffs on Canadian products took effect on August 16.

When President Trump announced the tariffs, Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) President and CEO M. Robert Weidner III said, “This decision is disappointing. From the start of the administration’s Section 232 investigations we have urged both Canada and the United States to keep their focus on the real source of oversupply: China. North American trading partners have strong relationships that provide good jobs on both sides of the border. We’d like to see the White House reconsider this action.”

The three governors agreed, arguing, “We strongly believe that this stance regarding Canadian aluminum will only hurt American manufacturers. It is time to look at solutions to elevate commerce on both sides of the border and not penalize key industries.” Click here to read the full letter.

MSCI has opposed Section 232 penalties on products from Canada since the very start of the Trump administration’s deliberations on the issue. Click here to see MSCI’s original testimony on the administration’s Section 232 aluminum investigation.

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