🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 102 (from laksa002)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa102.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war","crawl_time":1775575956,"first_indexed_time":1773658809,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,financialpost!\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war s443","src_root_hash":"8058800021708526502","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"U.S. steel exports to Canada shrink in trade war | Financial Post","meta_descriptions":["U.S. steel coming into Canada down more than 20% as Trump's tariff war shifts trade. Read more"],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Skip to Content\nNews\nArchives\nEconomy\nEnergy\nOil & Gas\nRenewables\nElectric Vehicles\nMining\nCommodities\nAgriculture\nReal Estate\nMortgages\nMortgage Rates\nFinance\nBanking\nInsurance\nFintech\nCryptocurrency\nWork\nWealth\nSmart Money\nWealth Management\nInvestor\nPersonal Finance\nFamily Finance\nRetirement\nTaxes\nHigh Net Worth\nFP Comment\nExecutive Women\nPuzzmo\nNewsletters\nFinancial Times\nBusiness Essentials\nMore\nInnovation\nInformation Technology\nFP500\nPodcasts\nSmall Business\nLives Told\nTails Told\nShopping\nFinancial Post Store\nObituaries\nPlace a Notice\nAdvertising\nAdvertising With Us\nAdvertising Solutions\nPostmedia Ad Manager\nSponsorship Requests\nClassifieds\nPlace a Classifieds ad\nWorking\nProfile\nSettings\nMy Subscriptions\nSaved Articles\nMy Offers\nNewsletters\nCustomer Service\nFAQ\nNews\nEconomy\nEnergy\nMining\nReal Estate\nFinance\nWork\nWealth\nInvestor\nFP Comment\nExecutive Women\nPuzzmo\nNewsletters\nFinancial Times\nBusiness Essentials\nHome\nCommodities\nThe United States is losing its grip on Canada's steel market\nU.S. steel imports coming into Canada down more than 20% as tariff war shifts trade\nLast updated Mar 16, 2026\nYou can save this article by registering for free\nhere\n. Or\nsign-in\nif you have an account.\nConstruction workers in Miami, Florida, work on steel rebar during the construction of a building. The United States' share of long steel products coming to Canada such as rebar shrank in 2025.\nPhoto by Joe Raedle\/Getty Images\nOne year into a trade war, the United States’ role as the largest source of\nforeign steel\nin Canada is on shaky ground.\nSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.\nExclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.\nDaily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.\nUnlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.\nNational Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.\nDaily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.\nSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.\nExclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.\nDaily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.\nUnlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.\nNational Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.\nDaily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.\nCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.\nAccess articles from across Canada with one account.\nShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.\nEnjoy additional articles per month.\nGet email updates from your favourite authors.\nCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.\nAccess articles from across Canada with one account\nShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments\nEnjoy additional articles per month\nGet email updates from your favourite authors\nSign In or Create an Account\nor\nU.S. steel producers shipped 22 per cent less product to Canada in 2025, a decline of about 700,000 tonnes, and their overall share of steel imports declined to 36 per cent from about 39 per cent, according to the\nCanadian Steel Producers Association\n(CSPA), a trade group.\nThe shift was not wholly unexpected after U.S. President\nDonald Trump\nlast March first erected tariffs on foreign steel, triggering retaliatory tariffs from other countries, including Canada. As trade flows shifted in the aftermath, Prime Minister\nMark Carney\ncalled it a “rupture” in the global trading order.\n“Generally, this new world that Trump has thrown us into has caused a decline of trade,” Peter Warrian, an economist and distinguished fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs, said. “Overall, global trade that involves North America has declined the most.”\nThe overall volume of steel imports in Canada in 2025 declined 16 per cent to 2.4 million tonnes from 3.1 million tonnes in 2024, the CSPA said.\nAlthough the U.S. remains the largest source of foreign steel imports in Canada, market share amongst importers has shifted as the Canadian government has enacted a series of protectionist policies.\nFrançois Desmarais, vice-president of trade and industry affairs at the CSPA, said there has been a decline in imports from the U.S. as well as from China, which shipped 250,000 fewer tonnes of steel products to Canada.\nChina’s steel shipments to Canada declined 38 per cent year over year to about 400,000 tonnes from 650,000 tonnes.\n“Yes, the U.S. dropped by a significant chunk, but they remain the largest exporter to Canada,” he said. “China saw a reduction of their imports to Canada by a lot, more than any other country.”\nOverall, the CSPA said China’s share of imports declined to six per cent in 2025, down from eight per cent in 2025. It said the countries that gained market share last year include Argentina, Mexico and South Korea.\nBut other data points to a different story.\nGlobal Affairs Canada (GAC) steel import data breaks down the market by the country where the steel was melted and poured and by the category of product. Desmarais said this data is drawn from import permits, which makes it subject to revision later on, and he disputed some of the numbers. Nonetheless, others say it is useful as an indicator of trends in the market.\nU.S. steel imports drastically slowed down as the trade war began in mid-March, just before Trump enacted his first tariffs on Canadian steel, according to GAC data.\nSteel coils lay in a yard at ArcelorMittal Dofasco plant in Hamilton, Ont.\nPhoto by Cole Burston\/Getty Images\nThe U.S. in the first quarter of 2025 accounted for 55 per cent of flat steel imports, the largest category of steel products by value, which Warrian said is generally viewed as a proxy for manufacturing because it is used in industries such as automobiles.\nDuring the next three quarters, U.S. flat product shipments declined, accounting for an average of 45 per cent of the import market.\nWarrian said it makes sense that the U.S. still controls a large share of flat products, given that the\nCanada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)\ngives preferential duty treatment to vehicles built with North American steel.\nBut the U.S. held far less market share for long steel products such as rebar, the next largest category by value, which Warrian said could be considered a proxy for the construction sector.\nOn long products, the U.S. also started strongly in 2025, accounting for 30 per cent of imports. During the next three quarters, it accounted for an average of 14 per cent of the market.\nA similar pattern occurred in pipe and tube products, the third-largest category, where the U.S. accounted for 22 per cent of the market in the first quarter, but dropped to an average of 10 per cent for the remaining quarters.\nJonathan Ernest, a professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, said it would make sense that U.S. steel exports to Canada would decline since the U.S. erected tariffs on all foreign steel, which allowed some producers to sell their product in their home market, including products that might historically have been sold to other countries.\n“What we tended to see is a lot of countries either retaliated in some way (to U.S. tariffs) or imported less from the U.S.,” he said. “And the products being produced in the U.S. are more expensive, which could mean it’s selling less than what is expected.”\nChina faced an even tougher series of market barriers, which began in October 2024 when the Canadian government enacted 25 per cent tariffs on its steel products. It also faces antidumping and countervailing duties in Canada on more than a dozen steel products, a result of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal finding that Chinese companies were selling products in Canada for less than the price in their home market or because it deemed products to be unfairly subsidized.\nCarney last summer also began implementing\nquotas on the amount of steel\nthat countries without a free trade agreement could export to Canada, above which a 50 per cent tariff applied.\nDespite those barriers, China grew its market share in flat, long and pipe steel in the final three quarters of 2025, according to the GAC data.\nIt accounted for 1.8 per cent of flat product imports in the first quarter of 2025, but that grew to 2.3 per cent on average across the next three quarters.\nOn long products, China had 2.7 per cent of the import market in the first quarter and that grew to 9.6 per cent on average during the next three quarters. In the same timeframe, its share of pipe and tube imports jumped to 16.1 per cent on average from 8.9 per cent.\n“It looks like there was some substitution between U.S. and Chinese steelmakers, even though we had the Chinese tariffs,” said Colin Mang, an economist at McMaster University in Hamilton who studies the Canadian steel market and who helped sort the GAC data.\nHe said Chinese steelmakers gaining market share despite the tariffs they faced supports the idea that their government is “willing to eat the cost and continue to subsidize its firms.”\nChina subsidizing its industrial sectors has become a lightning rod for controversy as Canada looks to prop up its struggling manufacturing sectors.\nWithout naming China, Carney has blamed “non-market practices abroad” for weakening Canada’s steel sector, which he described as key to national security because it is an input for defence products and critical infrastructure.\nChina has also drawn criticism for contributing to a global glut of steel, which has driven down prices.\nChina accounted for 55 per cent of global steel production in 2025, according to the research firm FastMarkets Global Ltd.\nWithin its steel industry, Warrian said China’s largest growth area has been in long products, so it makes sense that its exports in this area would surge.\n“Some of this stuff is going to be expected,” he said. “The Chinese steel industry had a huge expansion in the last 10-15 years, a lot of it related to real estate and infrastructure growth.\nGet the latest from Gabriel Friedman straight to your inbox\nJoin the Conversation\nThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about\ncookies here\n. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our\nTerms of Use\nand\nPrivacy Policy\n.","attrs_markdown":"![](https:\/\/sb.scorecardresearch.com\/p?c1=2&c2=10276888&cv=3.9.1&cj=1)\n\nAdvertisement oop\n\nStory continues below\n\nThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.\n\n[Skip to Content](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war#main-content)\n\nSections\n\nSearch\n\nShare\n\n![Close](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/common-icon\/icon-close-black.svg)\n\nShare this Story : Financial Post\n\n- [Copy Link](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war)\n- [![](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/share-icons\/icon-circle-email.svg) Email](mailto:?Subject=I%20saw%20this%20on%20Financial%20Post&Body=https%3A\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war \"Share via email\")\n- [![](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/share-icons\/icon-soc-tw.svg) X](https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war&text=Financial%20Post&via= \"Share on X in new tab\")\n- [![](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/share-icons\/icon-soc-rdit.svg) Reddit](https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?kind=link&url=https%3A\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war&title=Financial%20Post \"Share on Reddit in new tab\")\n- [![](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/share-icons\/icon-soc-pin.svg) Pinterest](https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https:\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war&media=https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/steel-0313-ph.jpg \"Share on Pinterest in new tab\")\n- [![](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/share-icons\/icon-soc-li.svg) LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https:\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war \"Share on LinkedIn in new tab\")\n- [![](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/share-icons\/icon-soc-tblr.svg) Tumblr](https:\/\/www.tumblr.com\/widgets\/share\/tool?canonicalUrl=https:\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war&title=Financial%20Post \"Share on Tumblr in new tab\")\n\n[Subscribe \\$20 for 1 year](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/subscribe\/recommended\/subscribe-button\/?utm_source=on-net&utm_medium=subscribe-button&utm_campaign=spring-sale&utm_content=)\n\nMy Account\n\n[Subscribe \\$20 for 1 year](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/subscribe\/recommended\/subscribe-button\/?utm_source=on-net&utm_medium=subscribe-button&utm_campaign=spring-sale&utm_content=)\n\n- [News](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/category\/news\/)\n  - 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Or [sign-in](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/sign-in\/) if you have an account.\n\n![Construction workers in Miami, Florida, work on steel rebar during the construction of a building. The United States' share of long steel products coming to Canada such as rebar shrank in 2025.](https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/steel-0313-ph.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=vBBsS-rWOvhSe3gejOFRdQ)\n\nConstruction workers in Miami, Florida, work on steel rebar during the construction of a building. The United States' share of long steel products coming to Canada such as rebar shrank in 2025.  Photo by Joe Raedle\/Getty Images\n\nArticle content\n\nOne year into a trade war, the United States’ role as the largest source of [foreign steel](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/tag\/steel\/) in Canada is on shaky ground.\n\n![Financial Post](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-fp.svg)\n\nTHIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY\n\nSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.\n\n- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.\n- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.\n- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.\n- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.\n- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.\n\nSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES\n\nSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.\n\n- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.\n- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.\n- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.\n- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.\n- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.\n\nREGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES\n\nCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.\n\n- Access articles from across Canada with one account.\n- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.\n- Enjoy additional articles per month.\n- Get email updates from your favourite authors.\n\nTHIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.\n\nCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.\n\n- Access articles from across Canada with one account\n- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments\n- Enjoy additional articles per month\n- Get email updates from your favourite authors\n\n## Sign In or Create an Account\nor\n\n[View more offers](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/subscribe)\n\nAlready a subscriber?  **[Login](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/sign-in\/)**\n\nIf you are a Home delivery print subscriber, online access is **included** in your subscription.  [Activate your Online Access Now](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/activate\/)\n\nArticle content\n\nU.S. steel producers shipped 22 per cent less product to Canada in 2025, a decline of about 700,000 tonnes, and their overall share of steel imports declined to 36 per cent from about 39 per cent, according to the [Canadian Steel Producers Association](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/tag\/Canadian-Steel-Producers-Association\/) (CSPA), a trade group.\n\nArticle content\n\n![Loading...](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/common\/icon-spinner-animated.svg)\n\nWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.\n\nTry refreshing your browser, or  \n[tap here to see other videos from our team](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/video-centre\/ \"Video Centre\").\n\n##### Tariffs, trade tensions and steel Back to video\n![Close sticky video]()\n\n![Loading...](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/common\/icon-spinner-animated.svg)\n\nWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.\n\nTry refreshing your browser, or  \n[tap here to see other videos from our team](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/video-centre\/ \"Video Centre\").\n\nPause Video\n\nTariffs, trade tensions and steel\n\nIn a recent speech in New York, Prime Minister Mark Carney spotlighted steel as a flashpoint in growing global trade tensions. From U.S. disputes to Canada’s tariffs on Chinese EVs and steel, the stakes keep rising. As trade pressures build, Canada is adjusting its course.\n\n0 of 2 minutes, 16 secondsVolume 0%\n\nPress shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts\n\nKeyboard Shortcuts\n\nEnabledDisabled\n\nShortcuts Open\/Close\/ or ?\n\nPlay\/PauseSPACE\n\nIncrease Volume↑\n\nDecrease Volume↓\n\nSeek Forward→\n\nSeek Backward←\n\nCaptions On\/Offc\n\nFullscreen\/Exit Fullscreenf\n\nMute\/Unmutem\n\nDecrease Caption Size\\-\n\nIncrease Caption Size\\+ or =\n\nSeek %0-9\n\nNext Up\n\nWhat’s next for CUSMA?\n\n01:31\n\nSubtitle Settings\n\nOff\n\nEnglish(US)\\_v\n\nFont Color\n\nWhite\n\nFont Opacity\n\n100%\n\nFont Size\n\n100%\n\nFont Family\n\nsans-serif\n\nCharacter Edge\n\nNone\n\nEdge Color\n\nBlack\n\nBackground Color\n\nBlack\n\nBackground Opacity\n\n75%\n\nWindow Color\n\nBlack\n\nWindow Opacity\n\n0%\n\nReset\n\nWhite\n\nBlack\n\nRed\n\nGreen\n\nBlue\n\nYellow\n\nMagenta\n\nCyan\n\n100%\n\n75%\n\n50%\n\n25%\n\n200%\n\n175%\n\n150%\n\n125%\n\n100%\n\n75%\n\n50%\n\nArial\n\nCourier\n\nGeorgia\n\nImpact\n\nLucida Console\n\nTahoma\n\nTimes New Roman\n\nTrebuchet MS\n\nVerdana\n\nNone\n\nRaised\n\nDepressed\n\nUniform\n\nDrop Shadow\n\nWhite\n\nBlack\n\nRed\n\nGreen\n\nBlue\n\nYellow\n\nMagenta\n\nCyan\n\nWhite\n\nBlack\n\nRed\n\nGreen\n\nBlue\n\nYellow\n\nMagenta\n\nCyan\n\n100%\n\n75%\n\n50%\n\n25%\n\n0%\n\nWhite\n\nBlack\n\nRed\n\nGreen\n\nBlue\n\nYellow\n\nMagenta\n\nCyan\n\n100%\n\n75%\n\n50%\n\n25%\n\n0%\n\nAuto540p\n\n1080p\n\n720p\n\n540p\n\n360p\n\n270p\n\n180p\n\nLive\n\n00:06\n\n02:09\n\n02:16\n\nMore Videos\n\n01:31\n\nWhat’s next for CUSMA?\n\n01:55\n\nWhy Poilievre opposes high speed rail\n\n02:03\n\nChampagne aims to boost financial trade with China\n\n01:07\n\nCarney says deadlines under energy deal with Alberta will be missed\n\n02:02\n\nRapper Pooh Shiesty charged with kidnapping over alleged dispute involving rapper Gucci Mane...\n\n02:26\n\nCanada Soccer jersey swap draws fans of all ages\n\n01:17\n\nRunway safety incidents on the rise in Canada\n\n02:45\n\nCanada learns first World Cup opponent after Bosnia-Herzegovina upsets Italy\n\n02:45\n\nCanada learns first World Cup opponent after Bosnia-Herzegovina upsets Italy\n\n00:54\n\nTensions remain high at Israeli-Lebanese border as Israel outlines plans for invasion\n\nClose\n\nArticle content\n\nArticle content\n\nThe shift was not wholly unexpected after U.S. President [Donald Trump](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/) last March first erected tariffs on foreign steel, triggering retaliatory tariffs from other countries, including Canada. As trade flows shifted in the aftermath, Prime Minister [Mark Carney](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/tag\/mark-carney\/) called it a “rupture” in the global trading order.\n\nArticle content\n\n“Generally, this new world that Trump has thrown us into has caused a decline of trade,” Peter Warrian, an economist and distinguished fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs, said. “Overall, global trade that involves North America has declined the most.”\n\nArticle content\n\nThe overall volume of steel imports in Canada in 2025 declined 16 per cent to 2.4 million tonnes from 3.1 million tonnes in 2024, the CSPA said.\n\nArticle content\n\nAlthough the U.S. remains the largest source of foreign steel imports in Canada, market share amongst importers has shifted as the Canadian government has enacted a series of protectionist policies.\n\nArticle content\n\nFrançois Desmarais, vice-president of trade and industry affairs at the CSPA, said there has been a decline in imports from the U.S. as well as from China, which shipped 250,000 fewer tonnes of steel products to Canada.\n\nArticle content\n\nArticle content\n\nChina’s steel shipments to Canada declined 38 per cent year over year to about 400,000 tonnes from 650,000 tonnes.\n\nArticle content\n\nRead More\n\n1. [![Steam rises as water is poured over hot steel at Algoma's Direct Strip Production Complex in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., on Wednesday, March 14, 2018. ](https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/algoma-steel-gs0102.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=5&sig=Y5UyfSV5jfHXc3wsBGRAmQ) Canada's last independent steel mill faces tough path back to profitability](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/canadas-last-independent-steel-mill-faces-tough-path-back-to-profitability)\n2. [![Barry Zekelman says there has been a groundswell of support from Canadians for strengthening policies that require construction projects here to use domestically made steel.](https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1031-mg-zekelman.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=5&sig=qpZZ0d7sL2WAKFSvlxLwqA) Canadian steel magnate offers \\$1,000 reward to whistleblowers who report foreign steel in public projects](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/canadian-steel-magnate-offers-foreign-steel-reward)\n3. Advertisement 1\n   \n   Story continues below\n   \n   This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.\n\nArticle content\n\n“Yes, the U.S. dropped by a significant chunk, but they remain the largest exporter to Canada,” he said. “China saw a reduction of their imports to Canada by a lot, more than any other country.”\n\nArticle content\n\nOverall, the CSPA said China’s share of imports declined to six per cent in 2025, down from eight per cent in 2025. It said the countries that gained market share last year include Argentina, Mexico and South Korea.\n\nArticle content\n\nBut other data points to a different story.\n\nArticle content\n\nGlobal Affairs Canada (GAC) steel import data breaks down the market by the country where the steel was melted and poured and by the category of product. Desmarais said this data is drawn from import permits, which makes it subject to revision later on, and he disputed some of the numbers. Nonetheless, others say it is useful as an indicator of trends in the market.\n\nArticle content\n\nU.S. steel imports drastically slowed down as the trade war began in mid-March, just before Trump enacted his first tariffs on Canadian steel, according to GAC data.\n\nAdvertisement 1\n\nThis advertisement has not loaded yet.\n\nTrending\n\n1. [William Watson: Open the highway, you crazy New Brunswickers\\!](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/opinion\/william-watson-open-the-highway-you-crazy-new-brunswickers)\n   \n   [![A file photo of the Trans Canada Highway in New Brunswick](https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0407-mg-highway-1.jpg?quality=5&strip=all&w=100&sig=7EvcnfWKayWrBuiiSM_vfw)](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/opinion\/william-watson-open-the-highway-you-crazy-new-brunswickers)\n   \n   [FP Comment](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/category\/opinion\/)\n2. 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Photo by Cole Burston\/Getty Images\n\nArticle content\n\nThe U.S. in the first quarter of 2025 accounted for 55 per cent of flat steel imports, the largest category of steel products by value, which Warrian said is generally viewed as a proxy for manufacturing because it is used in industries such as automobiles.\n\nArticle content\n\nDuring the next three quarters, U.S. flat product shipments declined, accounting for an average of 45 per cent of the import market.\n\nArticle content\n\nWarrian said it makes sense that the U.S. still controls a large share of flat products, given that the [Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/tag\/cusma\/) gives preferential duty treatment to vehicles built with North American steel.\n\nArticle content\n\nBut the U.S. held far less market share for long steel products such as rebar, the next largest category by value, which Warrian said could be considered a proxy for the construction sector.\n\nArticle content\n\nOn long products, the U.S. also started strongly in 2025, accounting for 30 per cent of imports. During the next three quarters, it accounted for an average of 14 per cent of the market.\n\nArticle content\n\nA similar pattern occurred in pipe and tube products, the third-largest category, where the U.S. accounted for 22 per cent of the market in the first quarter, but dropped to an average of 10 per cent for the remaining quarters.\n\nArticle content\n\nArticle content\n\nJonathan Ernest, a professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, said it would make sense that U.S. steel exports to Canada would decline since the U.S. erected tariffs on all foreign steel, which allowed some producers to sell their product in their home market, including products that might historically have been sold to other countries.\n\nArticle content\n\n“What we tended to see is a lot of countries either retaliated in some way (to U.S. tariffs) or imported less from the U.S.,” he said. “And the products being produced in the U.S. are more expensive, which could mean it’s selling less than what is expected.”\n\nArticle content\n\nChina faced an even tougher series of market barriers, which began in October 2024 when the Canadian government enacted 25 per cent tariffs on its steel products. It also faces antidumping and countervailing duties in Canada on more than a dozen steel products, a result of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal finding that Chinese companies were selling products in Canada for less than the price in their home market or because it deemed products to be unfairly subsidized.\n\nArticle content\n\nArticle content\n\nCarney last summer also began implementing [quotas on the amount of steel](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/carney-cranks-up-steel-import-restrictions) that countries without a free trade agreement could export to Canada, above which a 50 per cent tariff applied.\n\nArticle content\n\nDespite those barriers, China grew its market share in flat, long and pipe steel in the final three quarters of 2025, according to the GAC data.\n\nArticle content\n\nIt accounted for 1.8 per cent of flat product imports in the first quarter of 2025, but that grew to 2.3 per cent on average across the next three quarters.\n\nArticle content\n\nOn long products, China had 2.7 per cent of the import market in the first quarter and that grew to 9.6 per cent on average during the next three quarters. In the same timeframe, its share of pipe and tube imports jumped to 16.1 per cent on average from 8.9 per cent.\n\nArticle content\n\n“It looks like there was some substitution between U.S. and Chinese steelmakers, even though we had the Chinese tariffs,” said Colin Mang, an economist at McMaster University in Hamilton who studies the Canadian steel market and who helped sort the GAC data.\n\nArticle content\n\nHe said Chinese steelmakers gaining market share despite the tariffs they faced supports the idea that their government is “willing to eat the cost and continue to subsidize its firms.”\n\nArticle content\n\nChina subsidizing its industrial sectors has become a lightning rod for controversy as Canada looks to prop up its struggling manufacturing sectors.\n\nArticle content\n\nWithout naming China, Carney has blamed “non-market practices abroad” for weakening Canada’s steel sector, which he described as key to national security because it is an input for defence products and critical infrastructure.\n\nArticle content\n\nChina has also drawn criticism for contributing to a global glut of steel, which has driven down prices.\n\nArticle content\n\nChina accounted for 55 per cent of global steel production in 2025, according to the research firm FastMarkets Global Ltd.\n\nArticle content\n\nWithin its steel industry, Warrian said China’s largest growth area has been in long products, so it makes sense that its exports in this area would surge.\n\nArticle content\n\n“Some of this stuff is going to be expected,” he said. “The Chinese steel industry had a huge expansion in the last 10-15 years, a lot of it related to real estate and infrastructure growth.\n\nArticle content\n\n*• Email: [gfriedman@postmedia.com](mailto:gfriedman@postmedia.com)*\n\nArticle content\n\nShare this article in your social network\n\n- [![Share via email](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/share-icons\/icon-circle-email.svg)](mailto:?Subject=I%20saw%20this%20on%20Financial%20Post&Body=https%3A\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war)\n- [![Reddit](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/share-icons\/icon-soc-rdit.svg)](https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?kind=link&url=https%3A\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war&title= \"Share on Reddit in new tab\")\n- [![X](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/share-icons\/icon-soc-tw.svg)](https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war&text=Financial%20Post&via= \"Share on X in new tab\")\n- [![Share on Linkedin](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/share-icons\/icon-soc-li.svg)](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https%3A\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war \"Share on LinkedIn\")\n- ![Open more share options](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/share-icons\/icon-circle-share.svg)\n  ![Close](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/common-icon\/icon-close-black.svg)\n  \n  Share this Story : Financial Post\n  \n  - 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[Home](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/)\n2. [Commodities](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/category\/commodities\/)\n\n## The United States is losing its grip on Canada's steel market\nU.S. steel imports coming into Canada down more than 20% as tariff war shifts trade\n\nLast updated Mar 16, 2026\n\nYou can save this article by registering for free [here](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/register\/). Or [sign-in](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/sign-in\/) if you have an account.\n\n![Construction workers in Miami, Florida, work on steel rebar during the construction of a building. The United States' share of long steel products coming to Canada such as rebar shrank in 2025.](https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/steel-0313-ph.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=vBBsS-rWOvhSe3gejOFRdQ)\n\nConstruction workers in Miami, Florida, work on steel rebar during the construction of a building. The United States' share of long steel products coming to Canada such as rebar shrank in 2025.  Photo by Joe Raedle\/Getty Images\n\nOne year into a trade war, the United States’ role as the largest source of [foreign steel](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/tag\/steel\/) in Canada is on shaky ground.\n\n![Financial Post](https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-fp.svg)\n\nSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.\n\n- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.\n- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.\n- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.\n- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.\n- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.\n\nSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.\n\n- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.\n- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.\n- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.\n- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.\n- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.\n\nCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.\n\n- Access articles from across Canada with one account.\n- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.\n- Enjoy additional articles per month.\n- Get email updates from your favourite authors.\n\nCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.\n\n- Access articles from across Canada with one account\n- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments\n- Enjoy additional articles per month\n- Get email updates from your favourite authors\n\n## Sign In or Create an Account\nor\n\nU.S. steel producers shipped 22 per cent less product to Canada in 2025, a decline of about 700,000 tonnes, and their overall share of steel imports declined to 36 per cent from about 39 per cent, according to the [Canadian Steel Producers Association](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/tag\/Canadian-Steel-Producers-Association\/) (CSPA), a trade group.\n\nThe shift was not wholly unexpected after U.S. President [Donald Trump](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/) last March first erected tariffs on foreign steel, triggering retaliatory tariffs from other countries, including Canada. As trade flows shifted in the aftermath, Prime Minister [Mark Carney](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/tag\/mark-carney\/) called it a “rupture” in the global trading order.\n\n“Generally, this new world that Trump has thrown us into has caused a decline of trade,” Peter Warrian, an economist and distinguished fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs, said. “Overall, global trade that involves North America has declined the most.”\n\nThe overall volume of steel imports in Canada in 2025 declined 16 per cent to 2.4 million tonnes from 3.1 million tonnes in 2024, the CSPA said.\n\nAlthough the U.S. remains the largest source of foreign steel imports in Canada, market share amongst importers has shifted as the Canadian government has enacted a series of protectionist policies.\n\nFrançois Desmarais, vice-president of trade and industry affairs at the CSPA, said there has been a decline in imports from the U.S. as well as from China, which shipped 250,000 fewer tonnes of steel products to Canada.\n\nChina’s steel shipments to Canada declined 38 per cent year over year to about 400,000 tonnes from 650,000 tonnes.\n\n“Yes, the U.S. dropped by a significant chunk, but they remain the largest exporter to Canada,” he said. “China saw a reduction of their imports to Canada by a lot, more than any other country.”\n\nOverall, the CSPA said China’s share of imports declined to six per cent in 2025, down from eight per cent in 2025. It said the countries that gained market share last year include Argentina, Mexico and South Korea.\n\nBut other data points to a different story.\n\nGlobal Affairs Canada (GAC) steel import data breaks down the market by the country where the steel was melted and poured and by the category of product. Desmarais said this data is drawn from import permits, which makes it subject to revision later on, and he disputed some of the numbers. Nonetheless, others say it is useful as an indicator of trends in the market.\n\nU.S. steel imports drastically slowed down as the trade war began in mid-March, just before Trump enacted his first tariffs on Canadian steel, according to GAC data.\n\n![Steel coils lay in a yard at ArcelorMittal Dofasco plant in Hamilton, Ont.](https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hamilton-steel-0313-ph.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&sig=KADhS0i0UMb1hH1GiPD3lg)\n\nSteel coils lay in a yard at ArcelorMittal Dofasco plant in Hamilton, Ont. Photo by Cole Burston\/Getty Images\n\nThe U.S. in the first quarter of 2025 accounted for 55 per cent of flat steel imports, the largest category of steel products by value, which Warrian said is generally viewed as a proxy for manufacturing because it is used in industries such as automobiles.\n\nDuring the next three quarters, U.S. flat product shipments declined, accounting for an average of 45 per cent of the import market.\n\nWarrian said it makes sense that the U.S. still controls a large share of flat products, given that the [Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/tag\/cusma\/) gives preferential duty treatment to vehicles built with North American steel.\n\nBut the U.S. held far less market share for long steel products such as rebar, the next largest category by value, which Warrian said could be considered a proxy for the construction sector.\n\nOn long products, the U.S. also started strongly in 2025, accounting for 30 per cent of imports. During the next three quarters, it accounted for an average of 14 per cent of the market.\n\nA similar pattern occurred in pipe and tube products, the third-largest category, where the U.S. accounted for 22 per cent of the market in the first quarter, but dropped to an average of 10 per cent for the remaining quarters.\n\nJonathan Ernest, a professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, said it would make sense that U.S. steel exports to Canada would decline since the U.S. erected tariffs on all foreign steel, which allowed some producers to sell their product in their home market, including products that might historically have been sold to other countries.\n\n“What we tended to see is a lot of countries either retaliated in some way (to U.S. tariffs) or imported less from the U.S.,” he said. “And the products being produced in the U.S. are more expensive, which could mean it’s selling less than what is expected.”\n\nChina faced an even tougher series of market barriers, which began in October 2024 when the Canadian government enacted 25 per cent tariffs on its steel products. It also faces antidumping and countervailing duties in Canada on more than a dozen steel products, a result of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal finding that Chinese companies were selling products in Canada for less than the price in their home market or because it deemed products to be unfairly subsidized.\n\nCarney last summer also began implementing [quotas on the amount of steel](https:\/\/financialpost.com\/commodities\/carney-cranks-up-steel-import-restrictions) that countries without a free trade agreement could export to Canada, above which a 50 per cent tariff applied.\n\nDespite those barriers, China grew its market share in flat, long and pipe steel in the final three quarters of 2025, according to the GAC data.\n\nIt accounted for 1.8 per cent of flat product imports in the first quarter of 2025, but that grew to 2.3 per cent on average across the next three quarters.\n\nOn long products, China had 2.7 per cent of the import market in the first quarter and that grew to 9.6 per cent on average during the next three quarters. In the same timeframe, its share of pipe and tube imports jumped to 16.1 per cent on average from 8.9 per cent.\n\n“It looks like there was some substitution between U.S. and Chinese steelmakers, even though we had the Chinese tariffs,” said Colin Mang, an economist at McMaster University in Hamilton who studies the Canadian steel market and who helped sort the GAC data.\n\nHe said Chinese steelmakers gaining market share despite the tariffs they faced supports the idea that their government is “willing to eat the cost and continue to subsidize its firms.”\n\nChina subsidizing its industrial sectors has become a lightning rod for controversy as Canada looks to prop up its struggling manufacturing sectors.\n\nWithout naming China, Carney has blamed “non-market practices abroad” for weakening Canada’s steel sector, which he described as key to national security because it is an input for defence products and critical infrastructure.\n\nChina has also drawn criticism for contributing to a global glut of steel, which has driven down prices.\n\nChina accounted for 55 per cent of global steel production in 2025, according to the research firm FastMarkets Global Ltd.\n\nWithin its steel industry, Warrian said China’s largest growth area has been in long products, so it makes sense that its exports in this area would surge.\n\n“Some of this stuff is going to be expected,” he said. “The Chinese steel industry had a huge expansion in the last 10-15 years, a lot of it related to real estate and infrastructure growth.\n\nGet the latest from Gabriel Friedman straight to your inbox\n\nJoin the Conversation\n\nThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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Boilerpipe Text	Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials Home Commodities The United States is losing its grip on Canada's steel market U.S. steel imports coming into Canada down more than 20% as tariff war shifts trade Last updated Mar 16, 2026 You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. Construction workers in Miami, Florida, work on steel rebar during the construction of a building. The United States' share of long steel products coming to Canada such as rebar shrank in 2025. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images One year into a trade war, the United States’ role as the largest source of foreign steel in Canada is on shaky ground. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others. Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication. Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others. Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication. Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account or U.S. steel producers shipped 22 per cent less product to Canada in 2025, a decline of about 700,000 tonnes, and their overall share of steel imports declined to 36 per cent from about 39 per cent, according to the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA), a trade group. The shift was not wholly unexpected after U.S. President Donald Trump last March first erected tariffs on foreign steel, triggering retaliatory tariffs from other countries, including Canada. As trade flows shifted in the aftermath, Prime Minister Mark Carney called it a “rupture” in the global trading order. “Generally, this new world that Trump has thrown us into has caused a decline of trade,” Peter Warrian, an economist and distinguished fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs, said. “Overall, global trade that involves North America has declined the most.” The overall volume of steel imports in Canada in 2025 declined 16 per cent to 2.4 million tonnes from 3.1 million tonnes in 2024, the CSPA said. Although the U.S. remains the largest source of foreign steel imports in Canada, market share amongst importers has shifted as the Canadian government has enacted a series of protectionist policies. François Desmarais, vice-president of trade and industry affairs at the CSPA, said there has been a decline in imports from the U.S. as well as from China, which shipped 250,000 fewer tonnes of steel products to Canada. China’s steel shipments to Canada declined 38 per cent year over year to about 400,000 tonnes from 650,000 tonnes. “Yes, the U.S. dropped by a significant chunk, but they remain the largest exporter to Canada,” he said. “China saw a reduction of their imports to Canada by a lot, more than any other country.” Overall, the CSPA said China’s share of imports declined to six per cent in 2025, down from eight per cent in 2025. It said the countries that gained market share last year include Argentina, Mexico and South Korea. But other data points to a different story. Global Affairs Canada (GAC) steel import data breaks down the market by the country where the steel was melted and poured and by the category of product. Desmarais said this data is drawn from import permits, which makes it subject to revision later on, and he disputed some of the numbers. Nonetheless, others say it is useful as an indicator of trends in the market. U.S. steel imports drastically slowed down as the trade war began in mid-March, just before Trump enacted his first tariffs on Canadian steel, according to GAC data. Steel coils lay in a yard at ArcelorMittal Dofasco plant in Hamilton, Ont. Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images The U.S. in the first quarter of 2025 accounted for 55 per cent of flat steel imports, the largest category of steel products by value, which Warrian said is generally viewed as a proxy for manufacturing because it is used in industries such as automobiles. During the next three quarters, U.S. flat product shipments declined, accounting for an average of 45 per cent of the import market. Warrian said it makes sense that the U.S. still controls a large share of flat products, given that the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) gives preferential duty treatment to vehicles built with North American steel. But the U.S. held far less market share for long steel products such as rebar, the next largest category by value, which Warrian said could be considered a proxy for the construction sector. On long products, the U.S. also started strongly in 2025, accounting for 30 per cent of imports. During the next three quarters, it accounted for an average of 14 per cent of the market. A similar pattern occurred in pipe and tube products, the third-largest category, where the U.S. accounted for 22 per cent of the market in the first quarter, but dropped to an average of 10 per cent for the remaining quarters. Jonathan Ernest, a professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, said it would make sense that U.S. steel exports to Canada would decline since the U.S. erected tariffs on all foreign steel, which allowed some producers to sell their product in their home market, including products that might historically have been sold to other countries. “What we tended to see is a lot of countries either retaliated in some way (to U.S. tariffs) or imported less from the U.S.,” he said. “And the products being produced in the U.S. are more expensive, which could mean it’s selling less than what is expected.” China faced an even tougher series of market barriers, which began in October 2024 when the Canadian government enacted 25 per cent tariffs on its steel products. It also faces antidumping and countervailing duties in Canada on more than a dozen steel products, a result of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal finding that Chinese companies were selling products in Canada for less than the price in their home market or because it deemed products to be unfairly subsidized. Carney last summer also began implementing quotas on the amount of steel that countries without a free trade agreement could export to Canada, above which a 50 per cent tariff applied. Despite those barriers, China grew its market share in flat, long and pipe steel in the final three quarters of 2025, according to the GAC data. It accounted for 1.8 per cent of flat product imports in the first quarter of 2025, but that grew to 2.3 per cent on average across the next three quarters. On long products, China had 2.7 per cent of the import market in the first quarter and that grew to 9.6 per cent on average during the next three quarters. In the same timeframe, its share of pipe and tube imports jumped to 16.1 per cent on average from 8.9 per cent. “It looks like there was some substitution between U.S. and Chinese steelmakers, even though we had the Chinese tariffs,” said Colin Mang, an economist at McMaster University in Hamilton who studies the Canadian steel market and who helped sort the GAC data. He said Chinese steelmakers gaining market share despite the tariffs they faced supports the idea that their government is “willing to eat the cost and continue to subsidize its firms.” China subsidizing its industrial sectors has become a lightning rod for controversy as Canada looks to prop up its struggling manufacturing sectors. Without naming China, Carney has blamed “non-market practices abroad” for weakening Canada’s steel sector, which he described as key to national security because it is an input for defence products and critical infrastructure. China has also drawn criticism for contributing to a global glut of steel, which has driven down prices. China accounted for 55 per cent of global steel production in 2025, according to the research firm FastMarkets Global Ltd. Within its steel industry, Warrian said China’s largest growth area has been in long products, so it makes sense that its exports in this area would surge. “Some of this stuff is going to be expected,” he said. “The Chinese steel industry had a huge expansion in the last 10-15 years, a lot of it related to real estate and infrastructure growth. Get the latest from Gabriel Friedman straight to your inbox Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here . By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .
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[Commodities](https://financialpost.com/category/commodities/) - [![Share via email](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/share-icons/icon-circle-email.svg)](mailto:?Subject=I%20saw%20this%20on%20Financial%20Post&Body=https%3A//financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war) - [![Reddit](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/share-icons/icon-soc-rdit.svg)](https://www.reddit.com/submit?kind=link&url=https%3A//financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war&title= "Share on Reddit in new tab") - [![X](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/share-icons/icon-soc-tw.svg)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A//financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war&text=Financial%20Post&via= "Share on X in new tab") - [![Share on Linkedin](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/share-icons/icon-soc-li.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A//financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war "Share on LinkedIn") - ![Open more share options](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/share-icons/icon-circle-share.svg) ![Close](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/common-icon/icon-close-black.svg) Share this Story : Financial Post - [Copy Link](https://financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war) - [![](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/share-icons/icon-circle-email.svg) Email](mailto:?Subject=I%20saw%20this%20on%20Financial%20Post&Body=https%3A//financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war "Share via email") - [![](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/share-icons/icon-soc-tw.svg) X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A//financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war&text=Financial%20Post&via= "Share on X in new tab") - [![](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/share-icons/icon-soc-rdit.svg) Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/submit?kind=link&url=https%3A//financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war&title=Financial%20Post "Share on Reddit in new tab") - [![](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/share-icons/icon-soc-pin.svg) Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war&media=https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/financialpost/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/steel-0313-ph.jpg "Share on Pinterest in new tab") - [![](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/share-icons/icon-soc-li.svg) LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https://financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war "Share on LinkedIn in new tab") - [![](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/share-icons/icon-soc-tblr.svg) Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/widgets/share/tool?canonicalUrl=https://financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war&title=Financial%20Post "Share on Tumblr in new tab") # The United States is losing its grip on Canada's steel market U.S. steel imports coming into Canada down more than 20% as tariff war shifts trade Author of the article: By [Gabriel Friedman](https://financialpost.com/author/gfriedmanpostmedia/) Published Mar 16, 2026 Last updated Mar 16, 2026 5 minute read [Join the conversation](https://financialpost.com/commodities/u-s-steel-exports-canada-shrink-trade-war#comments-area) You can save this article by registering for free [here](https://financialpost.com/register/). Or [sign-in](https://financialpost.com/sign-in/) if you have an account. ![Construction workers in Miami, Florida, work on steel rebar during the construction of a building. The United States' share of long steel products coming to Canada such as rebar shrank in 2025.](https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/financialpost/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/steel-0313-ph.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=vBBsS-rWOvhSe3gejOFRdQ) Construction workers in Miami, Florida, work on steel rebar during the construction of a building. The United States' share of long steel products coming to Canada such as rebar shrank in 2025. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images Article content One year into a trade war, the United States’ role as the largest source of [foreign steel](https://financialpost.com/tag/steel/) in Canada is on shaky ground. ![Financial Post](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/identity/logo-identity-fp.svg) THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. - Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others. - Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication. - Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account. - National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. - Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. - Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others. - Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication. - Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account. - National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. - Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. - Access articles from across Canada with one account. - Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. - Enjoy additional articles per month. - Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. - Access articles from across Canada with one account - Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments - Enjoy additional articles per month - Get email updates from your favourite authors ## Sign In or Create an Account or [View more offers](https://financialpost.com/subscribe) Already a subscriber? [Login](https://financialpost.com/sign-in/) If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, online access is included in your subscription. [Activate your Online Access Now](https://financialpost.com/activate/) Article content U.S. steel producers shipped 22 per cent less product to Canada in 2025, a decline of about 700,000 tonnes, and their overall share of steel imports declined to 36 per cent from about 39 per cent, according to the [Canadian Steel Producers Association](https://financialpost.com/tag/Canadian-Steel-Producers-Association/) (CSPA), a trade group. Article content ![Loading...](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/common/icon-spinner-animated.svg) We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, or [tap here to see other videos from our team](https://financialpost.com/video-centre/ "Video Centre"). ##### Tariffs, trade tensions and steel Back to video ![Close sticky video]() ![Loading...](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/common/icon-spinner-animated.svg) We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, or [tap here to see other videos from our team](https://financialpost.com/video-centre/ "Video Centre"). Pause Video Tariffs, trade tensions and steel In a recent speech in New York, Prime Minister Mark Carney spotlighted steel as a flashpoint in growing global trade tensions. From U.S. disputes to Canada’s tariffs on Chinese EVs and steel, the stakes keep rising. As trade pressures build, Canada is adjusting its course. 0 of 2 minutes, 16 secondsVolume 0% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard Shortcuts EnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size\- Increase Caption Size\+ or = Seek %0-9 Next Up What’s next for CUSMA? 01:31 Subtitle Settings Off English(US)\_v Font Color White Font Opacity 100% Font Size 100% Font Family sans-serif Character Edge None Edge Color Black Background Color Black Background Opacity 75% Window Color Black Window Opacity 0% Reset White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 200% 175% 150% 125% 100% 75% 50% Arial Courier Georgia Impact Lucida Console Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop Shadow White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Auto540p 1080p 720p 540p 360p 270p 180p Live 00:06 02:09 02:16 More Videos 01:31 What’s next for CUSMA? 01:55 Why Poilievre opposes high speed rail 02:03 Champagne aims to boost financial trade with China 01:07 Carney says deadlines under energy deal with Alberta will be missed 02:02 Rapper Pooh Shiesty charged with kidnapping over alleged dispute involving rapper Gucci Mane... 02:26 Canada Soccer jersey swap draws fans of all ages 01:17 Runway safety incidents on the rise in Canada 02:45 Canada learns first World Cup opponent after Bosnia-Herzegovina upsets Italy 02:45 Canada learns first World Cup opponent after Bosnia-Herzegovina upsets Italy 00:54 Tensions remain high at Israeli-Lebanese border as Israel outlines plans for invasion Close Article content Article content The shift was not wholly unexpected after U.S. President [Donald Trump](https://financialpost.com/tag/donald-trump/) last March first erected tariffs on foreign steel, triggering retaliatory tariffs from other countries, including Canada. As trade flows shifted in the aftermath, Prime Minister [Mark Carney](https://financialpost.com/tag/mark-carney/) called it a “rupture” in the global trading order. Article content “Generally, this new world that Trump has thrown us into has caused a decline of trade,” Peter Warrian, an economist and distinguished fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs, said. “Overall, global trade that involves North America has declined the most.” Article content The overall volume of steel imports in Canada in 2025 declined 16 per cent to 2.4 million tonnes from 3.1 million tonnes in 2024, the CSPA said. Article content Although the U.S. remains the largest source of foreign steel imports in Canada, market share amongst importers has shifted as the Canadian government has enacted a series of protectionist policies. Article content François Desmarais, vice-president of trade and industry affairs at the CSPA, said there has been a decline in imports from the U.S. as well as from China, which shipped 250,000 fewer tonnes of steel products to Canada. Article content Article content China’s steel shipments to Canada declined 38 per cent year over year to about 400,000 tonnes from 650,000 tonnes. Article content Read More 1. [![Steam rises as water is poured over hot steel at Algoma's Direct Strip Production Complex in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., on Wednesday, March 14, 2018. ](https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/financialpost/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/algoma-steel-gs0102.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=5&sig=Y5UyfSV5jfHXc3wsBGRAmQ) Canada's last independent steel mill faces tough path back to profitability](https://financialpost.com/commodities/canadas-last-independent-steel-mill-faces-tough-path-back-to-profitability) 2. [![Barry Zekelman says there has been a groundswell of support from Canadians for strengthening policies that require construction projects here to use domestically made steel.](https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/financialpost/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1031-mg-zekelman.jpg?h=96&strip=all&quality=5&sig=qpZZ0d7sL2WAKFSvlxLwqA) Canadian steel magnate offers \$1,000 reward to whistleblowers who report foreign steel in public projects](https://financialpost.com/commodities/canadian-steel-magnate-offers-foreign-steel-reward) 3. Advertisement 1 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “Yes, the U.S. dropped by a significant chunk, but they remain the largest exporter to Canada,” he said. “China saw a reduction of their imports to Canada by a lot, more than any other country.” Article content Overall, the CSPA said China’s share of imports declined to six per cent in 2025, down from eight per cent in 2025. It said the countries that gained market share last year include Argentina, Mexico and South Korea. Article content But other data points to a different story. Article content Global Affairs Canada (GAC) steel import data breaks down the market by the country where the steel was melted and poured and by the category of product. Desmarais said this data is drawn from import permits, which makes it subject to revision later on, and he disputed some of the numbers. Nonetheless, others say it is useful as an indicator of trends in the market. Article content U.S. steel imports drastically slowed down as the trade war began in mid-March, just before Trump enacted his first tariffs on Canadian steel, according to GAC data. Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet. Trending 1. 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[Toronto home sales rise as buyers benefit from ‘substantial negotiating power’](https://financialpost.com/real-estate/toronto-home-sales-rise-buyers-benefit-negotiating-power) [![A house for sale in Toronto, Ont.](https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/financialpost/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/no0406tohousing.jpg?quality=5&strip=all&w=100&sig=8zLRINjVn6jA0pW2RL8TbA)](https://financialpost.com/real-estate/toronto-home-sales-rise-buyers-benefit-negotiating-power) [Real Estate](https://financialpost.com/category/real-estate/) Advertisement 2 Advertisement This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content ![Steel coils lay in a yard at ArcelorMittal Dofasco plant in Hamilton, Ont.](https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/financialpost/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hamilton-steel-0313-ph.jpg?quality=5&strip=all&w=100&sig=F5ST3oESkIOLSL4ir2b1vA) Steel coils lay in a yard at ArcelorMittal Dofasco plant in Hamilton, Ont. Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images Article content The U.S. in the first quarter of 2025 accounted for 55 per cent of flat steel imports, the largest category of steel products by value, which Warrian said is generally viewed as a proxy for manufacturing because it is used in industries such as automobiles. Article content During the next three quarters, U.S. flat product shipments declined, accounting for an average of 45 per cent of the import market. Article content Warrian said it makes sense that the U.S. still controls a large share of flat products, given that the [Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)](https://financialpost.com/tag/cusma/) gives preferential duty treatment to vehicles built with North American steel. Article content But the U.S. held far less market share for long steel products such as rebar, the next largest category by value, which Warrian said could be considered a proxy for the construction sector. Article content On long products, the U.S. also started strongly in 2025, accounting for 30 per cent of imports. During the next three quarters, it accounted for an average of 14 per cent of the market. Article content A similar pattern occurred in pipe and tube products, the third-largest category, where the U.S. accounted for 22 per cent of the market in the first quarter, but dropped to an average of 10 per cent for the remaining quarters. Article content Article content Jonathan Ernest, a professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, said it would make sense that U.S. steel exports to Canada would decline since the U.S. erected tariffs on all foreign steel, which allowed some producers to sell their product in their home market, including products that might historically have been sold to other countries. Article content “What we tended to see is a lot of countries either retaliated in some way (to U.S. tariffs) or imported less from the U.S.,” he said. “And the products being produced in the U.S. are more expensive, which could mean it’s selling less than what is expected.” Article content China faced an even tougher series of market barriers, which began in October 2024 when the Canadian government enacted 25 per cent tariffs on its steel products. It also faces antidumping and countervailing duties in Canada on more than a dozen steel products, a result of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal finding that Chinese companies were selling products in Canada for less than the price in their home market or because it deemed products to be unfairly subsidized. Article content Article content Carney last summer also began implementing [quotas on the amount of steel](https://financialpost.com/commodities/carney-cranks-up-steel-import-restrictions) that countries without a free trade agreement could export to Canada, above which a 50 per cent tariff applied. Article content Despite those barriers, China grew its market share in flat, long and pipe steel in the final three quarters of 2025, according to the GAC data. Article content It accounted for 1.8 per cent of flat product imports in the first quarter of 2025, but that grew to 2.3 per cent on average across the next three quarters. Article content On long products, China had 2.7 per cent of the import market in the first quarter and that grew to 9.6 per cent on average during the next three quarters. In the same timeframe, its share of pipe and tube imports jumped to 16.1 per cent on average from 8.9 per cent. Article content “It looks like there was some substitution between U.S. and Chinese steelmakers, even though we had the Chinese tariffs,” said Colin Mang, an economist at McMaster University in Hamilton who studies the Canadian steel market and who helped sort the GAC data. Article content He said Chinese steelmakers gaining market share despite the tariffs they faced supports the idea that their government is “willing to eat the cost and continue to subsidize its firms.” Article content China subsidizing its industrial sectors has become a lightning rod for controversy as Canada looks to prop up its struggling manufacturing sectors. Article content Without naming China, Carney has blamed “non-market practices abroad” for weakening Canada’s steel sector, which he described as key to national security because it is an input for defence products and critical infrastructure. Article content China has also drawn criticism for contributing to a global glut of steel, which has driven down prices. Article content China accounted for 55 per cent of global steel production in 2025, according to the research firm FastMarkets Global Ltd. Article content Within its steel industry, Warrian said China’s largest growth area has been in long products, so it makes sense that its exports in this area would surge. Article content “Some of this stuff is going to be expected,” he said. “The Chinese steel industry had a huge expansion in the last 10-15 years, a lot of it related to real estate and infrastructure growth. 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[Home](https://financialpost.com/) 2. [Commodities](https://financialpost.com/category/commodities/) ## The United States is losing its grip on Canada's steel market U.S. steel imports coming into Canada down more than 20% as tariff war shifts trade Last updated Mar 16, 2026 You can save this article by registering for free [here](https://financialpost.com/register/). Or [sign-in](https://financialpost.com/sign-in/) if you have an account. ![Construction workers in Miami, Florida, work on steel rebar during the construction of a building. The United States' share of long steel products coming to Canada such as rebar shrank in 2025.](https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/financialpost/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/steel-0313-ph.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=vBBsS-rWOvhSe3gejOFRdQ) Construction workers in Miami, Florida, work on steel rebar during the construction of a building. The United States' share of long steel products coming to Canada such as rebar shrank in 2025. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images One year into a trade war, the United States’ role as the largest source of [foreign steel](https://financialpost.com/tag/steel/) in Canada is on shaky ground. ![Financial Post](https://dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital/20.9.1/websites/images/identity/logo-identity-fp.svg) Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. - Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others. - Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication. - Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account. - National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. - Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. - Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others. - Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication. - Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account. - National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. - Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. - Access articles from across Canada with one account. - Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. - Enjoy additional articles per month. - Get email updates from your favourite authors. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. - Access articles from across Canada with one account - Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments - Enjoy additional articles per month - Get email updates from your favourite authors ## Sign In or Create an Account or U.S. steel producers shipped 22 per cent less product to Canada in 2025, a decline of about 700,000 tonnes, and their overall share of steel imports declined to 36 per cent from about 39 per cent, according to the [Canadian Steel Producers Association](https://financialpost.com/tag/Canadian-Steel-Producers-Association/) (CSPA), a trade group. The shift was not wholly unexpected after U.S. President [Donald Trump](https://financialpost.com/tag/donald-trump/) last March first erected tariffs on foreign steel, triggering retaliatory tariffs from other countries, including Canada. As trade flows shifted in the aftermath, Prime Minister [Mark Carney](https://financialpost.com/tag/mark-carney/) called it a “rupture” in the global trading order. “Generally, this new world that Trump has thrown us into has caused a decline of trade,” Peter Warrian, an economist and distinguished fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs, said. “Overall, global trade that involves North America has declined the most.” The overall volume of steel imports in Canada in 2025 declined 16 per cent to 2.4 million tonnes from 3.1 million tonnes in 2024, the CSPA said. Although the U.S. remains the largest source of foreign steel imports in Canada, market share amongst importers has shifted as the Canadian government has enacted a series of protectionist policies. François Desmarais, vice-president of trade and industry affairs at the CSPA, said there has been a decline in imports from the U.S. as well as from China, which shipped 250,000 fewer tonnes of steel products to Canada. China’s steel shipments to Canada declined 38 per cent year over year to about 400,000 tonnes from 650,000 tonnes. “Yes, the U.S. dropped by a significant chunk, but they remain the largest exporter to Canada,” he said. “China saw a reduction of their imports to Canada by a lot, more than any other country.” Overall, the CSPA said China’s share of imports declined to six per cent in 2025, down from eight per cent in 2025. It said the countries that gained market share last year include Argentina, Mexico and South Korea. But other data points to a different story. Global Affairs Canada (GAC) steel import data breaks down the market by the country where the steel was melted and poured and by the category of product. Desmarais said this data is drawn from import permits, which makes it subject to revision later on, and he disputed some of the numbers. Nonetheless, others say it is useful as an indicator of trends in the market. U.S. steel imports drastically slowed down as the trade war began in mid-March, just before Trump enacted his first tariffs on Canadian steel, according to GAC data. ![Steel coils lay in a yard at ArcelorMittal Dofasco plant in Hamilton, Ont.](https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/financialpost/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/hamilton-steel-0313-ph.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&sig=KADhS0i0UMb1hH1GiPD3lg) Steel coils lay in a yard at ArcelorMittal Dofasco plant in Hamilton, Ont. Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images The U.S. in the first quarter of 2025 accounted for 55 per cent of flat steel imports, the largest category of steel products by value, which Warrian said is generally viewed as a proxy for manufacturing because it is used in industries such as automobiles. During the next three quarters, U.S. flat product shipments declined, accounting for an average of 45 per cent of the import market. Warrian said it makes sense that the U.S. still controls a large share of flat products, given that the [Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)](https://financialpost.com/tag/cusma/) gives preferential duty treatment to vehicles built with North American steel. But the U.S. held far less market share for long steel products such as rebar, the next largest category by value, which Warrian said could be considered a proxy for the construction sector. On long products, the U.S. also started strongly in 2025, accounting for 30 per cent of imports. During the next three quarters, it accounted for an average of 14 per cent of the market. A similar pattern occurred in pipe and tube products, the third-largest category, where the U.S. accounted for 22 per cent of the market in the first quarter, but dropped to an average of 10 per cent for the remaining quarters. Jonathan Ernest, a professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, said it would make sense that U.S. steel exports to Canada would decline since the U.S. erected tariffs on all foreign steel, which allowed some producers to sell their product in their home market, including products that might historically have been sold to other countries. “What we tended to see is a lot of countries either retaliated in some way (to U.S. tariffs) or imported less from the U.S.,” he said. “And the products being produced in the U.S. are more expensive, which could mean it’s selling less than what is expected.” China faced an even tougher series of market barriers, which began in October 2024 when the Canadian government enacted 25 per cent tariffs on its steel products. It also faces antidumping and countervailing duties in Canada on more than a dozen steel products, a result of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal finding that Chinese companies were selling products in Canada for less than the price in their home market or because it deemed products to be unfairly subsidized. Carney last summer also began implementing [quotas on the amount of steel](https://financialpost.com/commodities/carney-cranks-up-steel-import-restrictions) that countries without a free trade agreement could export to Canada, above which a 50 per cent tariff applied. Despite those barriers, China grew its market share in flat, long and pipe steel in the final three quarters of 2025, according to the GAC data. It accounted for 1.8 per cent of flat product imports in the first quarter of 2025, but that grew to 2.3 per cent on average across the next three quarters. On long products, China had 2.7 per cent of the import market in the first quarter and that grew to 9.6 per cent on average during the next three quarters. In the same timeframe, its share of pipe and tube imports jumped to 16.1 per cent on average from 8.9 per cent. “It looks like there was some substitution between U.S. and Chinese steelmakers, even though we had the Chinese tariffs,” said Colin Mang, an economist at McMaster University in Hamilton who studies the Canadian steel market and who helped sort the GAC data. He said Chinese steelmakers gaining market share despite the tariffs they faced supports the idea that their government is “willing to eat the cost and continue to subsidize its firms.” China subsidizing its industrial sectors has become a lightning rod for controversy as Canada looks to prop up its struggling manufacturing sectors. Without naming China, Carney has blamed “non-market practices abroad” for weakening Canada’s steel sector, which he described as key to national security because it is an input for defence products and critical infrastructure. China has also drawn criticism for contributing to a global glut of steel, which has driven down prices. China accounted for 55 per cent of global steel production in 2025, according to the research firm FastMarkets Global Ltd. Within its steel industry, Warrian said China’s largest growth area has been in long products, so it makes sense that its exports in this area would surge. “Some of this stuff is going to be expected,” he said. “The Chinese steel industry had a huge expansion in the last 10-15 years, a lot of it related to real estate and infrastructure growth. Get the latest from Gabriel Friedman straight to your inbox Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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