Washington disappoints Horgan

Premier John Horgan called the United States government’s decision to impose tariffs on Canadian raw aluminum “disappointing.”

A statement from the premier’s office said Canadian aluminum exports do not harm the U.S. market and the tariffs will do more harm to the American economy.

B.C. is home to the newly modernized Rio Tinto aluminum smelter in Kitimat, which, the company says, employs 1,100 workers and pumped more than $533 million into the B.C. economy in 2018.

Horgan said his government will continue to defend B.C.’s aluminum sector and will stand “shoulder to shoulder” with federal opposition to the 10 per cent tariff on raw aluminum.

Much of the U.S. aluminum sector opposes the reimposition of tariffs, Horgan said.

“It is unfortunate that the U.S. is taking this step at a time when our countries should be celebrating the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement and working together to help each other economically recover from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” the premier said.