Canadian Workers Bear the Brunt as Trump’s Tariffs Take Hold
Few Canadians are in a celebratory mood despite our tariff ‘reprieve.’ While U.S. President Donald Trump announced ‘reciprocal’ (they aren’t) tariffs on much of the world, Canada and Mexico were exempted, as the White House explained here:
“For Canada and Mexico, the existing fentanyl/migration IEEPA orders remain in effect, and are unaffected by this order. This means USMCA compliant goods will continue to see a 0% tariff, non-USMCA compliant goods will see a 25% tariff, and non-USMCA compliant energy and potash will see a 10% tariff. In the event the existing fentanyl/migration IEEPA orders are terminated, USMCA compliant goods would continue to receive preferential treatment, while non-USMCA compliant goods would be subject to a 12% reciprocal tariff.”
However, tariffs against the steel and aluminum sectors are still in force. Tariffs on the auto sector, which go into effect Thursday, April 3rd, are already having an impact.
In a statement posted to Facebook, Unifor Local 444 announced that Stellantis is shutting down its Windsor assembly plant for two weeks because of Trump’s tariffs:
Attention Windsor Assembly Plant and feeder plants
Stellantis has just notified our union that the Windsor Assembly Plant will be *down for two weeks starting April 7, with more changes to the schedule expected in the coming weeks.
While we had heard rumours of potential downtime, the company said there are multiple factors at play, with the primary driver behind the final decision being this afternoon’s announcement from US President Donald Trump of the U.S. tariffs.
This has and continues to create uncertainty across the entire auto industry. This is not just affecting our plant—it’s impacting facilities in the U.S. and Mexico as well.
We understand the frustration and uncertainty this brings our members and their families. Your union is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to push for clarity and accountability from the company.
We will share updates as soon as they become available.
This is an early indication of the damage from Trump’s erratic actions and dishonest dealings. Remember, tariffs on the Canadian auto sector should not even be an option, given the deep integration of the sector that has built up due to decades of deals signed between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Canada and Mexico abided by the trade agreements we signed. Donald Trump and the United States did not.
And now, Canadian workers are paying the price. This is why we should not be fooled by temporary ‘reprieves.’ Our trust in the United States was built up over decades, and wrecked in just a few months. It will take years to rebuild, and it will likely never go back to what it was.
In this new world, we need to reach out to new trading partners, protect our workers, unleash Canadian energy, break down interprovincial trade barriers, and – as explained in significant detail here – retool part of our civilian auto sector and other key industries for military production.
Spencer Fernando
Photo – YouTube (Stellantis North America)
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