Sheehan vows to protect Canadian jobs in the face of U.S. tariff threats

‘I was able to remind people that the proposed tariffs would do damage to industry, workers and consumers in the United States,’ said Terry Sheehan, member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie

Last week, Terry Sheehan travelled to Washington, D.C. to meet with industry leaders to discuss the importance of the trading relationship between Canada and the U.S., and to lobby against President-Elect Trump’s proposed tariffs.

“I met with executives from the United States Chamber of Commerce, the Steel Manufacturers Association, the Canadian Embassy, the American Iron and Steel Institute, and the National Manufacturers Association,” said Sheehan, member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, in a news release.

“In these important meetings I was able to remind people that the proposed tariffs would do damage to industry, workers and consumers in the United States. The costs could be passed on to American consumers and that the Canadian government would counter with tariffs on the USA – as we did dollar for dollar during Trump’s first presidency.”

Sheehan said he dispelled “a variety of misinformation that is currently in the news and on social media.”

“We also discussed how many of our industries are integrated, including the steel industry, through various supply chains for the betterment of workers and industry on both sides of the border. The stakeholders I met with also provided valuable information about Trump’s nominees for a variety of positions, including trade, security, and business.

“These meetings were important on many levels from factual information sharing, gaining important intelligence, and making allies against the proposed Trump worldwide tariffs on Canada,” he said.

“I was proud to be part of the successful Team Canada fight and win against Trump’s original tariffs on steel and aluminum as thousands of people’s livelihoods were at stake in the riding of Sault Ste. Marie.

As chair of the All-Party Steel Caucus, Parliamentary Secretary for Labour, and as a member of the Standing Committee on International Trade, Sheehan says he is “back in the faces of Americans with those successful experiences I gained last time, fighting fiercely for Canadians and will continue to take action to protect our jobs.”