Aug 7, 2018
Osler partner Riyaz Dattu tells Glass Canada Magazine that the U.S. is using steel and aluminum tariffs it imposed on Canada as leverage in NAFTA renegotiations. In her article, author Treena Hein explores the ongoing trade dispute between Canada and the U.S. and the overall implications. The article describes the U.S. administration’s tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs on various types of U.S. goods entering Canada. Riyaz, an international trade expert, explains how the U.S. tariffs have created uncertainty in NAFTA talks.
“There is also confusion about the effect of this situation on NAFTA,” Riyaz tells Glass Canada Magazine. “The U.S. is using these tariffs against Canada as a means to provide leverage for the U.S. to gain more friendly terms under NAFTA and it’s put the negotiations process into disarray.”
Riyaz also tells Glass Canada Magazine that it’s hard to tell how long the tariffs will continue, adding that “it could be as long as next year.” He also notes that price increases have caused some Canadian firms to change their source of supply from U.S. to Canada and other countries.
For more information, read Treena Hein’s cover story article “Trade own-goal: Experts agree U.S. tariffs will accomplish little” on pages 9-10 of the August 2018 digital edition of Glass Canada Magazine.