Canadian aluminum producers pin tariff-relief hopes on U.S. Midterm results
Simard of the Aluminum Association of Canada says the midterms sent a clearer anti-tariff signal than expected, though Canadian exports to the U.S. Have fallen 25 per cent this year.
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Canadian aluminum exports to the United States fell 25 per cent in the first half of 2026. The U.S. Tariff on Canadian aluminum is 50 per cent, and producers have redirected shipments to Europe.
Jean Simard, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association of Canada, said Wednesday the midterm results sent a clearer anti-tariff signal than he expected. "I'm certainly far more optimistic than I've ever been, because the signal is overwhelmingly clearer than I thought it would be," he told reporters.
Andreas Schotter, a professor of international business at Western University's Ivey Business School, cautioned against expecting a quick turn. "Even on the Democratic side, there's a strong 'America First' notion," he said. "For businesses, there's no immediate change... I don't see us all of a sudden going back to full CUSMA."
Ottawa's counter-tariffs on American products took effect in September. Canada suspended trade talks with Washington in August after U.S. Demands over auto tariffs, trade-deal autonomy and Quebec's French-language protections.
