Posted on 28 Feb 2019
The Canadian wing of the United Steelworkers labour union is taking at least partial credit for a recent finding of potential injury due to imports of corrosion-resistant sheet. The material in question originates from China, India, South Korea and Taiwan, Kallanish learns from a union statement.
Late last week, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal announced that it had found evidence of threatening injury due to the imports. This has effectively ratified the final dumping margins identified by the Canada Border Services Agency and approved them for collection as duties.
China’s margins were found to be 3.6-53.3%, while India’s were 40%. South Korea’s margins were found to be 9-40%, and Taiwan’s were 3.2-33.2%.
“The harm to workers and communities from massive dumping of cheap, illegally subsidised foreign steel into our country is very real," says USW Local 1005 president Gary Howe, who had previously testified before the trade tribunal. “The result of these illegal practices – the suppression of prices, the loss of market share and lower production – flows down to Canadian workers and their families.”
The USW also took the opportunity to take a swipe at US tariffs on Canadian steel goods.
"The baseless US tariffs on our steel and aluminium products are the key problem facing Canadian workers, producers and communities," says USW national director Ken Neumann. “Rather than take a clear stand from the beginning, that it would not sign nor ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement unless the US tariffs were lifted, the Canadian government has allowed this problem to endure far too long."
