Saskatchewan is bracing for the impacts of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on aluminum and steel. Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on all imports of aluminum and steel into the United States on Monday. One week after Canada was able to delay a sweeping 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian products going into the U.S. for 30 days. The move from Trump on Monday came as a surprise, as he announced the tariffs while on his way to the Super Bowl. One of many in the province that could feel the affects of Monday’s tariffs is the Evraz steel plant in Regina, which relies heavily on exporting its products. In 2024, 23 per cent of all steel imported into the United States came from Canada. All aluminum imports into the U.S. from Canada was 60 per cent. Canada exports 94 per cent of its steel production into the U.S. United Steelworkers local president Mike Day said the exact impact on Regina steelworkers isn’t known yet, but added that affects to some degrees are all but certain. “We do not know the impact this will have on Regina steelworkers at this time, but the sense is it will impact our workforce,” Day said. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who is currently in Washington hoping to avoid a trade war, said that a great North American economy comes from allied relationships. “We add value to our goods alongside our American allies not in spite of them and the sooner we all realizer that and get back to building that continental economy the better,” Moe said. Moe pointed to Evraz specifically while speaking to reporters in Washington Monday and said the tariffs would not be a good thing for the employees. “We have a steel mill just north of Regina in Saskatchewan, this isn’t good for the folks that work in that steel mill, but they’re highly integrated with other steel plants throughout the U.S. and I would say that it is equally not as good for them,” Moe said. Trump has warned countries to not take retaliatory action and has said that counter tariffs would be met by swift action.
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