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We are at war with the U.S. right now, it’s an economic war but we are at war.
That was the message from Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli Wednesday afternoon in Washington.
Fedeli spoke to The Nugget following a delegation led by Premier Doug Ford where they spoke to Congresswoman Lisa McClain, chair House Republican Conference, Congressman Rob Wittman and Senator Kevin Cramer.
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The sole topic was the 25 per cent tariff being implemented on an array of Canadian products, including steel and aluminum.
“Make no mistake, there will be job losses, there will be families disrupted, there will be a lot of chaos once the tariffs actually hit,” Fedeli said.
“We are here (in the U.S.) to constantly remind Americans the biggest punishment is to them. It will hurt Canadians, it will hurt Ontario families because that is where we make steel, it will hurt Quebec families because that’s where we make aluminum, but it’s going to hurt every American because the tariffs are going to be passed on to the American customers.”
Fedeli said the delegation made their case as to why there should be no tariffs.
“Eighty per cent of all the nickel used in the entire U.S. aerospace industry is from Ontario, 56 per cent of all the nickel needed in the U.S. defense sector comes from Ontario. So when you hear President Trump say we don’t need anything from Canada that’s our message – yes you do,” he said.
“He’s putting tariffs on steel and aluminum, 60 per cent of all aluminum that the U.S needs to make goods comes from Canada. We are their source of aluminum. They simply could not make enough aluminum on their own. They could run at 100 per cent of their capacity and not have the aluminum they need to make products for their defense, their aerospace, pop cans, soup cans. “
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Fedeli said the message is getting out and there is a ton of support for Canada.
He said the U.S chamber of commerce are dead against these tariffs.
“But at the end of the day there is really only an audience of one this message has to get through to.,” Fedeli said, referring to President Donald Trump.
“Our intention is to continue to talk to everybody who will listen to us, every American, every senior American bureaucrat, every senior American politician to be able to share with President Trump. He is about to hurt his people.”
Fedeli said Ontario will not get out of this unscathed, there will be job losses.
Trump has stated the 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, including Canadian products, will begin on March 4.
Fedeli was asked whether he predicts Trump will change his mind and remove the tariffs.
He said President Trump has changed his mind eight times now since in inaugural speech.
“The most predictable thing in the next four years will be unpredictability,” Fedeli added.
“Last night he (President Trump) said it might not be 25 per cent it might be 50 per cent tariffs and he might tariff cars at 100 per cent. This is unpredictable to know what is coming next,” he said.
Fedeli said Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the United States House of Representatives, told him we have to figure out what Trump wants.
“Nobody can tell us what he actually wants, we just don’t know and his members can’t figure out what he wants either.”
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