Canada's Building Trades Unions Stands by the Government of Canada on Tariff Retaliation

OTTAWA, June 4, 2018 /CNW/ - Canada's Building Trades Unions are fully supportive of the Government of Canada's response to U.S. President Trump's recent decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum on Canadian companies.  "We unequivocally support Prime Minister Trudeau and his government for taking swift action, a day following President Trump's short-sighted decision on its neighbors to the north," states Robert Blakely, Canadian Operating Officer of Canada's Building Trades Unions.

At midnight last Thursday night, the United States imposed a 25 percent tariff on Canadian, Mexican, and European Union steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum.  In retaliation, the Government of Canada is imposing $16.6 billion in retaliatory tariffs.  "It is unfortunate that the Government of Canada had to make such decisions, but President Trump has given Canada no choice to finally put its foot down and say enough is enough," says Blakely.

CBTU also finds it difficult to understand how President Trump justifies his decision to impose tariffs by saying it's about national security. "As the U.S. closest ally and as a nation that has served in wars, alongside the United States for over a century, the pretext that these tariffs somehow have a "national security" basis is a studied insult to all those Canadians who served, bled, and died in those wars," continues Blakely.

Robert Blakely hopes that common sense will prevail as the majority of Congress and the Senate values the relationship that the United States and Canada share.  "The United States and Canada has an integrated economy that served Americans and Canadians very well over our history.  I am convinced that the elected officials will pressure their President in reversing this misguided decision that is deteriorating a relationship that is envied across the world," concludes Blakely.

About CBTU

The North America-wide Building Trades coordinates activities and provides resources to 15 affiliated trade unions in the construction, maintenance and fabrication industries. In Canada, CBTU represents 500,000 skilled trades workers.

SOURCE Building & Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO