Industry and Technology Committee on April 23rd, 2026

[Dominique O'Rourke, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Thank you.

Mr. Loomis, you are sitting in Atlanta right now at the North American steel conference. What are you hearing from your American counterparts? Obviously, the U.S. Department of Commerce supports their section 232 actions, and some metal associations in the United States have also expressed it. What are you hearing on the ground? Do they realize the cost drivers that this involves?

[Keanin Loomis]

Part of the great disappointment we've had over the last couple of years as a Canadian steel industry is that it's our colleagues down south who have been advocating for these policies. They finally have their grievances being addressed. The primary producers, and in our case the American Institute of Steel Construction, have first of all been out-competed by Canadian firms, especially in particular regions of the United States. Through this President—because it is the person who can pay the Mar-a-Lago membership or get into the ear of the right people—they've been able to get their grievances addressed.

I want to underscore that it's all the other derivative downstream companies and associations in the United States that are suffering. I've heard this repeatedly from many others. Just because of how tightly integrated we are, it has been very difficult to navigate this new world. You need to have customs brokers, lawyers and so many other professional services surrounding you. Most companies in the steel industry here and in the United States in, again, the derivative steel industry would like to return to a tariff-free regime between our two countries.

[Dominique O'Rourke, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Wouldn't we all? There we go.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

Thank you very much, Ms. O'Rourke.

Mr. Ste‑Marie, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette—Manawan, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Loomis, my question is about Chinese steel. You referred to it in your presentation and in your answers.

As we know, the construction sector in China has declined significantly in recent years, which has led to an overcapacity of structural steel and dumping. Increased safeguards on Chinese steel imports, which you referred to, seem entirely reasonable. I would add that it doesn't require legislation, since the government has full authority to do this by order in council through the Special Import Measures Act. The World Trade Organization agreements allow for this if the measures are temporary, meaning for a maximum of five years.

Are you confident that there will be an order in council, or are you afraid that the government's latest diplomatic and political rapprochement with China will make it reluctant to put anti-dumping safeguards in place?

[Keanin Loomis]

Thank you for the question, Mr. Ste‑Marie.

I'm under no illusion that this is easy for the government. There are all kinds of other voices and industries in this country that need to be heard. This is very difficult, for sure.

I think that, when it comes to steel in particular, however, steel is perhaps unique in all of the world in terms of a commodity [Technical difficulty—Editor]. It should be understood that we're not the only ones. Again, as I said, the whole kernel of truth in the 232 tariffs is that. In fact, the capacity of steel in China only continues to grow, despite these issues and the fact that the rest of the steel world is pointing to them and asking them to play by the rules, so we're not alone.

I think that, in this case, it should be an international effort. This is what we're encouraging, to work with the United States to form a “fortress North America”. We think that, if we could do that, it would have more benefit to the North American steel industry than what the U.S. is doing right now in the imposition of the 232 tariffs.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette—Manawan, QC]

Thank you.

I have other questions for you, but my time is up. Next time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

Thank you, Mr. Ste‑Marie.

Mr. Gill, welcome to the industry committee. The floor is yours for five minutes.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Thank you, Chair. Thank you for holding these hearings. I truly appreciate it, and so do the people in Windsor West.

Mr. Donally, we are hearing some remarks from the current government, when it comes to trade, that indicate there is a binary choice between the U.S. and the rest of the world. However, the people we speak to in Windsor want to make sure Canada's strong enough at home to compete, both with the U.S. and with the rest of the world, without sacrificing our workers.

As you have said before, tooling is not optional. This is the essential layer that is foundational for autos, industrial production and defence. If tooling leaves, then everything else follows. Based on the current reality, what are the future prospects for our region, our country and our future partnership with the U.S.?

[Ryan Donally]

Thank you. That's an interesting question

I'm perpetually an optimist. If I think of our current situation in Windsor-Essex, three weeks ago we just landed a third shift at Stellantis, but I recognize that's not the case everywhere. The NextStar battery plant just opened. The Gordie Howe bridge is finalizing. We're about to break ground on a new acute care hospital. I remain very optimistic for Windsor-Essex.

Going back to my point earlier, I do think it is important to grow the pie and not just split the pie different ways. Do I think diversification is important? It's extremely important. I also think that the diversification of customer and supplier is extremely important. That can't come at the expense of one country versus another, in my opinion, so I believe in maintaining and growing that relationship with the United States. However, growing relationships with other countries, destinations and suppliers all throughout the world is also important. That positions us best to ensure that there's a long-term economic viability of our community and businesses.

It cannot be underscored enough how important the current relationship—and I say “current” meaning the past 70 years—has been in establishing the deep relationship and deeply integrated supply chain between our two countries, and that can't be unravelled. If it is, then the 85% of products that are headed to the United States.... That is a pretty grave situation for many of our regions if that disappears.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

True.

We have seen significant impacts based on our unemployment rate. If this current model continues, what do you think the prospects are for future generations? Are they going to become economic refugees as well? Are they going to have to go elsewhere in the world to find opportunities? Give a quick response if you could.

[Ryan Donally]

I started the week after Donald Trump was elected to office. I have seen the ebb and flow. I have seen, in my first few weeks on the job, when 25% tariffs were threatened across the board and not allowing CUSMA to continue. With the threat and panic of what that looked like at that point, we saw unemployment rates go up. Once that CUSMA relationship was upheld, the unemployment rates in Windsor went back down to 7.9% over the summer, which for us is not a bad number.

What's happening right now, over the past few weeks, is the first real tangible significant direct impact to our businesses. This is what's different. It's not a threat anymore. This is a tariff that is directly impacting the economic viability of thousands and thousands of people in Windsor, Ontario and Canada. With an economic multiplier of at least three, we're talking about tens of thousands of jobs in southwestern Ontario.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Chair, if it's okay Mr. Lewis can have the rest of my time.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Donally. I think I'm going to call you Captain Donally instead. I understand that you were the captain of the Windsor Spitfires. Obviously, you got drafted by the Calgary Flames and played in the AHL for quite some time. I know when you were playing with the Spitfires you were likely playing against the Plymouth Whalers, the Flint Firebirds or the Erie Otters. I realize that were you in the corner—because you are a big strong man, sir—you had elbows up, you absolutely had elbows up, but at the end of every game you went to centre ice and you shook hands with our friends from Michigan and Ohio, as an example, our hockey friends.

For the sake of the industry, for the sake of the jobs, how important is it now for our government to meet with the U.S. government at centre ice, shake hands and get a deal done?

[Ryan Donally]

I didn't know where you were going with that.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Ryan Donally]

Forty pounds ago, I was a hockey player.

If we think about the past year and a bit, and this is all a lead-up to July 1 and the formal review of CUSMA, and we think of all of this as posturing for the past little while, I do think it's extremely important that we recognize that our adversaries can also be our friends. Shaking hands with a deal that benefits both sides, I think, is very important. I look forward to that day.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

Thanks, Mr. Lewis.

Mr. Donally, I'm glad I'm not the only here who can reference 40 pounds ago. I appreciate that.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

Mr. Bains, you are going to close us off with five minutes.

The floor is yours.

[Parm Bains, Liberal, Richmond East—Steveston, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all of our witnesses for joining us today on this important and vital discussion on industry.

I'm going to go to Mr. Anderson, to include him in the conversation.

Earlier in April, the Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Suppliers Association, the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries, and the Southeast Techhub received close to a million dollars in federal and provincial funding to support advanced nuclear supply chains in Saskatchewan. Could you talk about supply chains and advancing innovation and sustainable energy solutions in this whole context of the tariffs that are being applied?

Just shed some light on what your thoughts are.

[Eric Anderson]

It's an interesting world here. We've been largely insulated, thanks to the great work of the Government of Canada over the past years. I'm thinking of potash and uranium, the critical minerals we produce. That's our major business, and it was somewhat insulated. The threats of new tariffs could drastically change that and make things different. We've had some members have some significant impacts.

One of the things that we have been doing is.... Nuclear power begins in Saskatchewan. We are the uranium mining capital of North America and pretty much the world. Our members, as we look at nuclear power and nuclear builds, have some federal funding there. We've hired some incredible persons—the former chief engineer of Westinghouse now works for us—to help our members evolve and become equipped in the nuclear power sector. We are also now working in the defence sector and the accreditation and funding there.

We look towards the Major Projects Office. For example, if we could get a procurement office in Saskatchewan to help our members engage in these programs it would be wonderful. We can build big things here. Our members are the people responsible for helping BHP build the largest mine they have ever built, the largest mine in the world. It's $18 billion.

We can build big things here. We're looking forward to engaging and going further.

[Parm Bains, Liberal, Richmond East—Steveston, BC]

I think the rest of the mould-making and tool industries can benefit there, definitely.

I will go to Mr. Donally.

The war in Iran has caused a significant surge in prices for many of our commodities here—aluminum in my home province of British Columbia as well as Quebec, potash in Saskatchewan, and oil and gas in Alberta. Can this strengthen our position for the CUSMA review, in your view?

[Ryan Donally]

If I look at the natural resources, physical resources and labour resources we have in our country, I think we are positioned extremely well to be an economic powerhouse for a long time. If we think of Canada and the United States—as Mr. Loomis alluded to—as one region, we have potential. We already have economic strength, but I think we could be an economic superpower.

Thank you for that.

[Parm Bains, Liberal, Richmond East—Steveston, BC]

I will continue with the Windsor Essex Chamber of Commerce.

You have strong relationships with businesses and chambers across the border. You probably have strong relationships through your history of hockey too. What are your thoughts on the actions of the Trump administration and the effect it's had on their local economies? What are you hearing from your counterparts on the other side?