Address Chinese steel dumping during China visit, Chamber says to Prime Minister

NEWS RELEASE

SAULT STE MARIE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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The Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with the Windsor–Essex and Hamilton Chambers of Commerce to write a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, urging the Government of Canada to address the issue of unfair trading practices by Chinese producers, oversupply and dumping in the world steel market and bilateral information sharing to improve trade remedy’s and arbitration.

Prime Minister Trudeau is expected to travel to China on Aug. 30 for a five-day visit prior to the G20 Summit. In his first official visit, a potential free trade agreement between Canada and China is one of the key items on the agenda.

Further to this letter, the three Chambers are bringing this as a resolution to the Canadian Chamber AGM, September 17-19 in Regina, SK, to gain national support.

The three chambers have engaged local steel producers, manufacturers, the Canadian Steel Producers Association, elected officials, their provincial and national chambers and many other organizations throughout this process.

The resolution states:

Support the Canadian Steel Industry and its Supply Chain Clusters

The Canadian steel industry is a cornerstone of our national economy. It constitutes not only steel producers, but also the role it plays as a supplier and innovator for numerous manufacturing industries across the country.

Recently, a combination of increased regulation, the instability of the global market economy and unfair market behavior by foreign competitors has led to a sharp decline in their ability of our steel industry to compete globally.

The Hamilton, Windsor-Essex and Sault Ste. Marie Chambers recommend that the federal government focus public policy and investment efforts toward the steel industry, its natural clusters and the innovation it creates. This includes addressing ongoing unfair trade practices by foreign nations.

“It is important that Canada take a strong position when it comes to fair trade practices globally,” says Rory Ring, Executive Director of the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce. “The steel industry has been subject to the impacts of a lack of enforcement on legislative mechanisms dealing with unfair trade practices. This affects not only the steel producers but also all of the small and medium-sized companies that are in the supply chain to that industry. Companies ranging from shipping, engineering, office supplies, accounting, fabricating, crane repair and more are all impacted. The economic impact cascades throughout the community.”

The joint letter from the Sault Ste. Marie, Windsor–Essex and Hamilton Chambers of Commerce can be read on the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce Website or at this link.

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