Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) has welcomed the federal government’s new trade measures aimed at protecting the country’s steel industry, including the first-ever global tariffs on imported steel-derivative products.
In a statement, Keanin Loomis, president and CEO of the CISC, said the measures are an important step for Canada’s steel fabricators, who transform raw steel into the downstream products used in infrastructure projects nationwide.
“In the face of the unjustified trade actions taken by other countries, we have advocated for the expansion of Canada’s trade remedies to apply to derivative steel products, protecting the entire steel supply chain,” Loomis said.
The new measures include a 25 per cent global tariff on certain imported steel derivatives, such as wind towers, prefabricated buildings, fasteners, and wires. The federal government also plans to work with railways to cut freight rates for transporting Canadian steel by 50 per cent beginning in spring 2026, a move aimed at making it more affordable to move steel across the country and reducing reliance on foreign products.
“These actions formally recognize the critical role of the steel fabrication sector,” Loomis said. “This is a welcome step forward to protect Canadian fabricators.”
Also, a Buy Canadian policy has been announced, which will require federal projects over $25 million to prioritize Canadian materials, including steel.
Ontario launched a $1-billion fund in August, aimed at giving relief to businesses affected by steel, aluminum and auto tariffs. The Protect Ontario Financing Program is part of a $5-billion tariff-related support package the provincial government announced in its spring budget.
Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy says the loan program will help businesses with payroll, lease and utility payments and avoid closures and layoffs.
qualify businesses must be affected by certain tariffs, have a minimum of 10 employees and a minimum of $2 million in annual revenue. Click here to see if your business qualifies for assistance.
The broader federal plan also includes tightening tariff-rate quotas for steel imports, enhancing border enforcement against dumping, and ending temporary tariff remissions on imported steel for manufacturing, packaging, and agriculture by January 2026. Officials say these combined measures could create more than $1 billion in domestic demand for Canadian steel.