The United States has dropped its 10 per cent tariff on Canadian aluminum imposed in August.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said imports have declined sharply from the surges experienced earlier in the year.
Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Minister Mary Ng welcomed the news during a news conference Tuesday.
“Tariffs would have harmed workers and industry on both sides of the border, disrupting linked supply chains that have made North American aluminum more competitive around the world,” said Ng.
“It is a testament to the Team Canada approach as we’ve all worked relentlessly to ensure these unjustified tariffs on Canadian aluminum were removed,” she added.
The news came just hours before the Canadian government was set to implement retaliatory measures of its own.
The USTR said Tuesday that tariffs could be reimposed if Canadian exports exceed a certain level.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada will not hesitate to act if that happens.
“Let me be clear: Should tariffs be reimposed on our aluminum exports in the future, Canada will retaliate with perfectly reciprocal dollar-for-dollar tariffs as we have done in the past,” said Freeland.
“We will always stand up for our workers and our industry. We will always stand up for the national interests.”
