The cost of construction projects risks increasing with the imposition of customs tariffs of 25% on steel and aluminum products from China, warns the Quebec Construction Association.
“Material costs represent a significant portion of the total budget of a construction project. With these prices, we expect a certain increase in prices which will have repercussions on all infrastructure projects in Quebec and which could delay some of them,” the organization expressed concern in a press release on Thursday. .
The imposition of 25% customs duties on Chinese steel and aluminum announced last month by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will come into effect on October 22.
Ottawa justified the implementation of this measure by saying that China does not play by the same rules of the game as Canada and its allies, in particular by applying less rigorous environmental and labor standards.
According to the federal government, this unfair competition compromises the safety of important Canadian industries and results in the displacement of workers in the automotive and metallurgical sectors.
The measure, which also comes with a 100% surcharge on all electric vehicles manufactured in China, was welcomed by Canada’s largest private sector union, Unifor, which sees it as a “crucial action” for the industrial development in the country.
The ACQ does not share this enthusiasm. “These 25% customs tariffs risk penalizing the construction industry, a pillar of the Quebec economy,” warns the association, which asks the federal government to postpone their entry into force by six months. “to facilitate the management of current contracts”.
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