U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade czar told a Senate committee in Washington Thursday that the tariff on Canadian steel must remain in place to ensure the national security of the U.S. is preserved.
Robert Lighthizer was answering pointed questions from Democratic Senator Jack Reed when he explained the thinking behind Trump’s decision to slap steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada on the grounds that Canadian metals pose a threat to U.S. national security.
“The basis for the action against Canada is a threat to the national security of the United States,” Reed said.
“This is a country that has sent forces to Afghanistan. Those forces have, some of them, unfortunately have given their lives in a joint effort with the United States.
“This is a country that since the 1950s has been maintaining our early warning for attack [by] then the Soviet Union, now Russia. This is a country who uses our equipment, this is a country who has been with us every step of the way and, I guess again … Are they a national security threat to the United States justifying legally the imposition of this 232?”
Lighthizer argued that while China was the real problem, a global approach — with every trading nation hit with the same tariffs — was necessary to prevent a “hole in the net” that would allow steel from China and other places to flow into the U.S. via Canada.
“If you are of the opinion that the 232 is justified, because of the need to preserve U.S. steel, if that is your decision then you have to put in place a provision, a program that actually works,” Lighthizer told Reed.
“That’s the context. Nobody is declaring war on Canada or saying they are an unfriendly neighbour. They’re obviously not, they’re a great ally and certainly one of America’s closest friends and closest trading partners. But if you decide that you need to protect an industry, you can’t be in a position where the protection is of no value because everything comes in through the capital of Canada.”