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Trump tariffs on steel, aluminum a major peril to Canada’s economy, MPs told

The House of Commons trade committee will be back at work later today with a special meeting that has one major aim, demonstrating the broad economic pain of the Trump administration’s crushing steel and aluminum tariffs.
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Rolls of coiled steel are seen at Canadian steel producer Dofasco in Hamilton Ont., Tuesday, March 13, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tara Walton

MPs are hearing dire warnings about the potential impact of American tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel and a looming threat of tariffs on automobiles.

Representatives of the steel industry, auto parts makers, car dealers and the steelworkers union say U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs could send Canada spiralling into a recession.

The House of Commons trade committee is holding a special meeting to hear about the broad economic pain the tariffs could bring.

The MPs are being told that Canada has to fight back with its own retaliatory levies, which are scheduled to go into effect next week.

Steel company CEO Sean Donnelly says Canada finds itself in unprecedented times that demand unprecedented reactions.

Ken Neumann, Canadian director of the United Steelworkers, says Canada’s tariffs should have gone into effect the same day as the American levies.

Related: Finance ministers talk trade as feds told to ‘look before you leap’ on tariffs

Related: Canada responds to U.S. steel, aluminum tariffs with ‘countermeasures’ of its own

The Canadian Press

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