Canada eyes ‘Buy Canadian’ policy as tariff dispute with US puts aluminium and steel on the line
With the United States slapping a steep 50 per cent tariff on Canadian steel and aluminium imports, Ottawa is now fast-tracking a self-sufficient economic response potent to reshape North America’s metals supply chain. At the centre of this pivot is a proposed ‘Buy Canadian’ policy, an industrial safeguard designed to protect Canadian producers and preserve jobs by mandating the use of domestic metal in government procurement contracts.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed this week that the government is actively considering procurement requirements for both infrastructure and defence projects that would prioritise Canadian-made metals. “These decisions are being taken as we speak,” Joly said, emphasising the policy’s fast-track implementation, adding, “I’m convinced that this will help create greater demand within Canada and therefore protect jobs.”
The move mirrors the United States’ own protectionist measures under Donald Trump’s first term (2018), where “Buy American, Hire American” became a key plank of industrial policy. However, with President Trump now doubling down on metal tariffs as part of his 2025 economic agenda, Canada is fighting fire with fire.
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