Canadian Steel Producers Association Welcomes Budget 2017 Commitment to Strengthening Canada's Response to Unfair Trade

OTTAWA, ON--(Marketwired - March 22, 2017) - The Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) welcomes the Government of Canada's Budget 2017 commitment to improve its ability to defend Canadian manufacturers against dumped and subsidized imports by implementing measures that effectively modernize the Canadian trade remedy system. These actions will include legislative and regulatory amendments to improve the enforcement of trade remedies, address the circumvention of duties, and better account for market and price distortions.

"Understanding the seriousness of market distorting trade in Canada, we applaud the leadership shown in Budget 2017 by the Government of Canada and Minister of Finance Bill Morneau," said CSPA Chairman Sean Donnelly. "Steel production in Canada is truly a high-tech advanced manufacturing industry and today's commitments are critical to ensuring continued investment and employment in Canada's steel sector."

The CSPA believes comprehensive and timely implementation of modernizations to Canada's trade remedy system are essential to ensuring our member companies and their employees are better able to compete fairly. The actions announced today to address unfairly traded goods entering the Canadian market is consistent with Canada's commitments to increasing free trade and maintaining the Government's focus on protecting and growing Canada's middle class.

"The CSPA also applauds the leadership shown by the Parliamentary Steel Caucus and its co-chairs Bob Bratina MP (Hamilton East - Stoney Creek) and Terry Sheehan MP (Sault St. Marie)," said CSPA President Joseph Galimberti. "The Canadian steel industry has benefited from the Caucus's commitment to our industry since its formation. Their tireless efforts on behalf of their constituents whose livelihoods depend on steel have been essential to delivering the progress we see in Budget 2017."

The CSPA appreciates Canada's increased participation in multi-national efforts to address the damaging effects of unfair trade in steel through involvement in efforts such as the G20 Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity. However, given the recent strengthening of measures in jurisdictions such as the United States to counter unfair steel trade, Canada must continue to quickly adapt our trade remedy system to ensure we do not become an attractive market for dumped and subsidized steel. The timely implementation of measures announced in Budget 2017 is crucial in that regard.

About CSPA:

The Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) is the national voice of Canada's $14 billion primary steel production industry. Canadian steel producers are integral to the automotive, energy, construction, and other demanding industrial supply chains. CSPA seeks to work with governments and industry partners to advance public policies that enable a globally competitive business environment for its member companies and supply chain stakeholders.

Additional Quotes:

"We applaud the Government of Canada for the measures taken in Budget 2017 to support the 22,000 men and women of Canada's steel industry. The Government's actions to protect free and fair trade demonstrate the importance of the steel sector and its highly-skilled, well-paying middle class jobs, in communities like Regina, Red Deer, Camrose, and Calgary. We look forward to a timely Budget implementation, and to continue to work with the Government to grow Canada's economy in an environmentally responsible manner."

- Conrad Winkler, President & CEO, Evraz North America

"Commitments to taking action against unfair trade, like those made today by the Federal government, are vital to a healthy Canadian supply chain that generates middle class manufacturing jobs across the country. We would like to especially thank the many parliamentarians involved in bringing forward this trade remedy policy, including Sault Ste. Marie MP Sheehan and the Ministers he helped engage on this critical issue. As an advanced manufacturer of steel pipes, these jobs are vital to enabling the safe and responsible development of Canada's energy resources."

- Guillermo Moreno, President and Managing Director, Tenaris Canada

"Gerdau welcomes the Government of Canada's efforts to defend Canada's steel industry from the damage of unfairly traded imports. Specifically, the measures committed to in today's budget announcement will help Gerdau compete on a level playing field in both domestic and global markets while promoting the interests of the highly-skilled employees at our operations in Cambridge & Whitby, ON as well as Selkirk, MB."

- Roger Paiva, Operations Vice President, Gerdau North America

"A strengthened trade remedy system that ensures fair trade is critical to the ongoing success of the Canadian Steel Industry. I commend the Government for taking action in today's Budget to support a strong manufacturing economy and good, skilled jobs here in Canada."

- Kalyan Ghosh, President and Chief Executive Officer, Essar Steel Algoma Inc.

"On behalf of our more than 2,000 employees and all stakeholders who have a vested interest in the long-term success of Stelco, I would like to applaud the Government for their commitment to bring Canada's trade rules into the 21st century, and to protect highly-skilled jobs by defending Canadian markets from illegally and unfairly traded products."

- Michael McQuade, President and General Manager, Stelco