Canada Most Affected by Trump Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum

Less than a week after agreeing to a 30-day pause on tariffs against Canada and Mexico, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on steel and aluminum on Sunday. On his way to New Orleans to attend the Super Bowl, Trump told reporters that he would introduce a 25-percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports to the United States on Monday in a move that escalates trade tensions between the U.S. and its northerly neighbor.

As our chart shows, Canada is the largest supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States, accounting for 23 percent of U.S. steel imports in 2024 and almost 60 percent of U.S aluminum imports. In 2023, roughly 90 percent of Canada’s steel and aluminum exports went to the United States, illustrating what the country stands to lose if U.S. manufacturers were to source their metals elsewhere. 

“Let’s all be clear. Canadian steel and aluminum support key industries in the U.S. from defense, shipbuilding and auto,” François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry, said in a statement on X. “This is making North America more competitive and secure. We will continue to stand up for Canada, our workers, and our industries,” he added. Francois Legault, premier of Quebec, the province at the heart of Canada’s aluminum industry, struck the same note, saying that the U.S. depends on Canadian steel and aluminum. “Do they prefer to supply themselves from China?” he asked rhetorically, pointing out the need for renegotiated free trade agreement between the two countries.