Quebec premier calls Trump’s aluminum tariffs ‘totally unjustifiable’ as he heads to Washington

Aluminum from Quebec tops the list of exports to the U.S., creating concern for manufacturers across the province with Trump's new tariffs.

Just as Premier François Legault is heading to Washington to talk trade, U.S. President Donald Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum products, including from Canada, dealing a blow to Quebec.

“It’s a big deal. This is the beginning of making America rich again,” Trump said early Monday evening as he signed the executive orders in the Oval Office. The deadline is set for March 4.

Legault reacted to the stunning announcement, saying on social media that the new round of tough tariff talk from the president was a “totally unjustifiable decision.”

“As you know, Quebec is the largest exporter of aluminum to the United States. I’ll be in Washington tomorrow to vigorously defend Quebec’s interests and protect our workers,” the premier wrote on X.

Legault is among the 13 provincial and territorial premiers on a special diplomatic mission in the U.S. capital. The Council of the Federation will aim to make the case for maintaining decades-long trading ties on both sides of the border.

The Quebec premier is set to meet with representatives of the National Association of Home Builders, the Aluminum Association, Rio Tinto, Alcoa, and Alstom.

The leader of the official opposition at the Quebec National Assembly told The Canadian Press that “Quebec must be at the heart of the Canadian strategy” in response to the tariff threats.

“What Quebec makes available to the United States are key inputs: aluminum, steel and softwood lumber,” said Marc Tanguay, interim leader of the Quebec Liberal Party.

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“We take it for granted that François Legault (...) will be able to impress upon American politicians the importance of (...) Quebec’s inputs.

In terms of critical and strategic minerals, lithium, graphite, cobalt, (...) he must also be able to put on the table the importance of what this represents for the United States,’ he added.

While it is true that the premiers' visit to Washington is not “pointless”, we must “moderate our expectations”, according to Frédéric Boily, a political scientist at the University of Alberta.

“It would be very surprising, even improbable, if this were to constitute a turning point in Canada-US relations at the moment’, he said in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press.

“The underlying dynamic is not provincial; it’s the federal government that is the major player in all this.”

March 4 is also the date when sweeping tariffs across all Canadian imports will take effect after Canada was given a 30-day delay following commitments on border security.

Quebec aluminum manufacturers on edge

For those who process and transform aluminum, the uncertainty is taxing. AluQuébec represents about 40,000 workers in the Greater Montreal area.

President and CEO François Racine says just the threat of tariffs is throwing a wrench in the works as many projects and investments need significant lead time.

“You need to know how much you will be producing, and what kind of return on investment that you will have,” he told CTV News.

Two weeks ago, the aluminum industry warned of the impacts of tariffs.

“We’re pushing metal on a daily basis. We produce 3.2 million tons. The U.S. uses 5 million tons,” said Jean Simard, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association of Canada, on Jan. 27.

A provincial government document from this winter shows that in total, trade with the United States makes up more than half of Quebec’s commerce.

When it comes to exports aluminum tops the list, with $8.79 billion annually, leading the premier to post on social media Monday morning: “Quebec exports 2.9 million tons of aluminum, or 60% of its needs. Would they prefer to source their supplies from China?”

Concordia University political science professor Graham Dodds says negotiating with Trump’s team will not be easy.

“He likes things being fluid and to an extent even inconsistent and if you want to attribute logic to it. I suppose it’s a way of keeping the other side on their toes, off balance,” he said in an interview.

While many might think of aluminum and steel as big industries, the tariffs could also hit home on products consumers use every day.

“For example, if I hold a beer can or coke can in my hands every day, then the can is made of aluminum. So, although the price of coke can is not increasing directly, but indirectly the price will increase,” said Vivek Astvansh, an associate professor of quantitative marketing and analytics at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management.

With files from The Canadian Press