Trade Associations Call for Withdrawal of Hefty Steel, Aluminum Tariffs

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Canacero- the Mexican Iron and Steel Industry Chamber urged the governments of Mexico, Canada and the U.S. to consider abolition of tariffs on trilateral metal trades. It called upon the governments of all the three countries to press for tariff rollback during the negotiations for renewed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The same demand was earlier raised by the Canadian trade body, Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) too.

Both Canacero and CSPA reiterated their commitment to actively defend North American markets from unfairly traded global imports of metals including steel and aluminum. As stated by Maximo Vedoya, President, Canacero, a NAFTA with hefty steel and aluminum tariffs is likely to counter the agreement’s main purpose. A modernized agreement would help the trading partners to further strengthen the integration of regional market, which in turn will bring substantial benefits to all the three countries, Vedoya added.

Meantime, Joseph Galimberti, President, CSPA noted that the NAFTA renegotiation presents an ideal opportunity to eliminate trade barriers within the region. Canada has initiated several steps to preserve fair trade in the NAFTA region. This includes the recent changes to the country’s trade remedy laws and initial round of consultations on a global safeguard action, he said.

The trade associations cited that steel trade between NAFTA countries have more than doubled since NAFTA came into force.