“Our priority must be to align our trade policies to address the challenges posed by unfair and predatory trade practices of countries like China, not to drive a further wedge between our nations,” said the IAM and United Steelworkers.
In an open letter to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the heads of the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and United Steelworkers, called for a rethinking of the latest tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration on Canada, and noted that Canada-US trade is already quite balanced:
“Our unions have publicly stated our concerns about the imposition of tariffs against Canada. Each country must ensure that trade is fair and that trade irritants are addressed, however the U.S. trade relationship with Canada over the last year and a half has been marked more by division than cooperation. On behalf of our members on both sides of the border, we call for renewed engagement and negotiations to return our relationship to a more stable, balanced footing.”
The letter also refers to Canada as a “trusted partner” and implies that US tariffs on Canada undermine US “economic and national security”:
“Our unions have supported several of the administration’s trade actions. We will continue our work to abandon the outdated and misguided free trade orthodoxy in favor of trade policies that address the reality of markets and the policies of many of our competitors. We will continue to support policies where we can, however, we must also speak out against policies that undermine our ability to strengthen our economic and national security. Canada has been a trusted and valued partner for decades.”
While some on the political fringes in Canada seek, against all evidence and logic, to blame Canada for Trump’s ongoing assault on our economy, it is important to see that two powerful unions representing many Canadian and American workers recognize the deeply counterproductive nature of Trump’s tariff assault on Canada.
Spencer Fernando
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