The Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and Europe is “very unfortunate news” for Hamilton’s economy and is likely to have some sort of an impact on employment in the city, Mayor Fred Eisenberger tells CP24.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced on Thursday morning that a 25 per cent tariff on steel imports and 10 per cent tariff on aluminum imports will go into effect at midnight, ending weeks of speculations on whether President Donald Trump would extend the exemptions granted to Canada, Mexico and the European Union in March.
The news is expected to be particularly devastating in the City of Hamilton, where nearly 10,000 workers are believed to be employed in the steel industry.
“It is bad news. I think it is a very unfortunate choice by the president of the U.S. to actually go down this trade war kind of approach,” Eisenberger told CP24 following the announcement. “Diplomacy is important but when someone kicks you in the shins you have to respond.”
Both ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Stelco, as well as a number of smaller operations, maintain a presence in Hamilton’s steel industry.
Though the industry is not as large as it once was it still believed to result in 30,000 indirect jobs in the city, according to the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.
Eisenberger said that he fears an uptick in the local economy will therefore be slowed by the introduction of the tariffs.
“It is hard to know what the direct employment impact will be but we do know that this will directly impact consumers both in Canada and the U.S. and Mexico and that is a negative impact that nobody should want,” he said.
The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce has previously estimated that most steel businesses in the city export at least 50 per cent of their products to the U.S.
