The minister co-ordinating British Columbia’s response to tariff threats from the USA says the operators of the BC Works aluminum smelter within the province’s north are assured it’ll discover non-U.S. markets for its product.
Ravi Kahlon stated B.C. Premier David Eby just lately met with Rio Tinto and the corporate has a “good stage of confidence” contemporary markets might be present in a “pretty fast method” for aluminum produced on the Kitimat facility.
Kahlon stated the federal government has been working with Rio Tinto and others to work out the right way to transfer B.C. merchandise to different jurisdictions for the reason that second tariffs have been advised by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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He stated the U.S. tariffs will have an effect “within the brief time period” however the province is comfy that new patrons might be discovered, with aluminum significantly in demand.
Kahlon was chatting with reporters simply earlier than Trump signed an govt order on Monday to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all metal and aluminum imports, together with Canadian merchandise.
The brand new duties come every week after Trump briefly paused plans to hit Canada and Mexico with sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on items and a decrease 10 per cent levy on Canadian vitality.
Rio Tinto’s aluminum smelter and hydropower facility in Kitimat was one of many largest contributors to B.C.’s manufacturing GDP in 2023, based on its web site.
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