The House of Commons Industry and Technology committee met to study the impacts of U.S. tariffs on Canada's metallurgical and advanced manufacturing sectors. Witnesses included Eric Anderson from the Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Suppliers Association, Keanin Loomis from the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction, Ryan Donally from the Windsor Essex Chamber of Commerce, Michael Hicks from the Canadian Association of Moldmakers, Alison Cretney from the Energy Futures Lab, and Greg Moffatt from the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada.
Eric Anderson said Saskatchewan's mining and industrial supply chain members are concerned that tariffs on their customers—mining and oil companies—could trickle down significantly. He urged the government to include supply chain issues and opportunities in the work of bodies like the Major Projects Office.
Keanin Loomis said the revised section 232 tariffs, which now apply to the total value of fabricated steel products, are causing immediate harm and drying up order books. He recommended doubling the 25% derivative surtax on non-FTA countries to 50%, applying the buy Canadian policy to all taxpayer-funded projects, and, as a last resort, creating a fund from tariff revenues to support retooling and workforce training.
Ryan Donally said the tariffs are an immediate tax on Canadian manufacturing labour and engineering, not just steel, and that contracts are becoming unworkable. He called for a temporary blanket remission framework, short-term cash-flow relief, and urgent resolution of section 232 within the CUSMA framework, warning that without action production and jobs will move to the United States.
Michael Hicks said the mould-making industry was about to boom before the "sneak attack" tariff revision, and that the uncertainty is causing programs to stall. He urged Prime Minister Carney to visit Windsor-area tool and mould shops to see the situation first-hand, and said the industry needs immediate government support to survive.
Alison Cretney said Canada's structural dependence on the U.S. market is a vulnerability, and that the country should build out midstream metals processing capacity, better align critical minerals and manufacturing policies, and use procurement and cluster development to strengthen domestic ecosystems. She argued that coordination is itself a form of intervention that can prevent future crises.
Greg Moffatt said chemistry and plastics are foundational to metallurgical processing, and that while most of his members' products are CUSMA-compliant and moving freely, demand weakness in downstream sectors like automotive and construction is a secondary impact. He recommended strengthening industrial competitiveness, building more resilient domestic supply chains, using the CUSMA review strategically, and improving trade and transportation infrastructure, noting that Canada's Achilles heel is its vulnerability to labour disruptions in rail and ports.
During questions, Loomis said the most important thing the government could do in the next 30 to 60 days is apply domestic procurement policies to all federally funded projects and encourage provinces and municipalities to do the same. Donally said the industry needs a cash-flow bridge within three to six months, as companies are being asked to move to the U.S. and face single-digit to double-digit unprofitability. Moffatt noted that the federal government's approach to plastics has been punitive and should be more outcome-based to allow innovation and investment.
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