Keystone likely to be exempted from U.S. steel requirement

OTTAWA — The White House has delivered welcome news to proponents of the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline project, suggesting it’s likely to be exempted from a requirement involving the use of American steel that might have complicated its approval.

A spokeswoman for U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Friday that his recent order that U.S. pipelines be built with American steel does not apply to the hotly debated project linking Alberta and Texas.

“The way that executive order is written … it’s specific to new pipelines or those that are being repaired,” Sarah Huckabee Sanders told media travelling with Trump to Florida.

“And since this one is already currently under construction, the steel is already literally sitting there. It would be hard to go back.”

That news brought derision from people who oppose the president and the pipeline in the U.S. — accusing him of double-speak.

However, the Canadian government welcomed the news.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office said that “if confirmed,” the exemption would be a welcome recognition that the Canada and U.S. steel industries are deeply integrated and support jobs on both sides of the border.

“We will continue to work with the United States as they examine the steel industry,” spokesman Olivier Duchesneau said.

“Canada imported $6 billion of U.S. steel in 2015, supporting jobs on both sides of the border.”

Duchesneau said Canada has always supported Keystone because it will create “thousands of well-paying, middle-class jobs for Canadians and Americans.”