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Aluminum Shadows of workers is reflected on rolls of coated steal during an announcement by Chrystia Freeland in Hamilton. Friday, June 29, 2018. (Peter Power\/The Canadian Press) <\/p>\nIndustry Minister M\u00e9lanie Joly says new federal investments announced Friday are a first step toward reducing the Canadian aluminum sector\u2019s dependence on the United States.<\/p>\n
Joly, who is also the minister responsible for economic development in Quebec, made the comments in La Baie, Que., where she announced more than $193 million in federal funding for projects at four Rio Tinto facilities in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region and at the Alouette aluminum smelter in Sept-\u00celes, Que.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe aluminum industry is much more than an economic driver. It is also a strategic industry for our country and for Canadian sovereignty,\u201d the minister said in her speech. <\/p>\n
Citing the economic upheaval caused by tariffs and the unpredictability of the American government, Joly said that \u201cin this new context, we must be able to produce more of what our economy needs right here in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also said the funding is a first step toward strengthening the Canadian aluminum supply chain. <\/p>\n
Aluminum Shadows of workers is reflected on rolls of coated steal during an announcement by Chrystia Freeland in Hamilton. Friday, June 29, 2018. (Peter Power\/The Canadian Press) <\/p>\n
Joly pointed out that the price of aluminum products are inflated first by tariffs when they enter the United States and a second time when that aluminum returns to Canada. <\/p>\n
The United States imposes a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian aluminum, and since Sept. 8, Canada has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on processed aluminum from the United States, resulting in a total surcharge of 100 per cent. <\/p>\n
The Canadian tariff imposed in March 2025 was 25 per cent before Sept. 8. <\/p>\n
Joly stressed that the government sees aluminum as a strategic sector for the Canadian economy and that she sees the importance of building rolling mills in Canada.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not normal that most of our aluminum is processed in the United States and then comes back at a higher cost to our companies,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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Minister of Industry Melanie Joly says the federal government is talking to Rio Tinto about cash flow support amid tariffs. Joly speaks to reporters as she arrives at a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Thursday, June 19, 2025. THE CANADI… Minister of Industry Melanie Joly says the federal government is talking to Rio Tinto about cash flow support amid tariffs. Joly speaks to reporters as she arrives at a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Thursday, June 19, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/ Patrick Doyle <\/p>\n
She said several sectors \u2014 including agri-food, beverages, and aerospace \u2014 need more processed aluminum and have rolling mill projects of their own.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to be able to produce our aluminum cans here at home; we want to be able to produce our aircraft and aerospace parts here at home; and we also want to attract key investments in aluminum processing for our defence sector,\u201d Joly said.<\/p>\n
On top of providing financial support to producers, she said the government also wants to work with entrepreneurs interested in developing these rolling mills and take on equity stakes.<\/p>\n
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Workers inspect sheets of stainless steel after being pressed from coils, at Magna Stainless and Aluminum in Montreal on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Christopher Katsarov Workers inspect sheets of stainless steel after being pressed from coils, at Magna Stainless and Aluminum in Montreal on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Christopher Katsarov <\/p>\n
Ottawa also wants \u201cto be able to offer procurement contracts, certainly defence-related ones, for key components in the aerospace sector, precisely to create a business model that makes sense for a rolling mill,\u201d Joly stated.<\/p>\n
\u201cEconomic sovereignty isn\u2019t something you proclaim, it\u2019s something you build.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada has nine primary aluminum smelters, eight of which are located in Quebec. The other is in British Columbia.<\/p>\n
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026<\/p>\n
Pierre Saint-Arnaud, The Canadian Press<\/p>\n
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