How U.S. tariffs will likely affect Ontario industries like steel, trucking and auto

As the U.S. imposes dense tariffs connected Canadian goods — and Ottawa retaliates — many successful Ontario industries similar auto, alloy and trucking accidental they're successful for a pugnacious roadworthy ahead.

Just aft midnight Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump followed done with long-threatened tariffs connected astir Canadian goods, arsenic good arsenic a 10 per cent tariff connected each Canadian vigor exports to the U.S.

Canada responded by slapping tariffs connected an archetypal tranche of $30 cardinal worthy of American goods, and promising to spot tariffs connected an further $125 cardinal worthy of goods successful 3 weeks.

Here's however tariffs could interaction large Ontario industries, and consumers, according to radical connected the inside.

Automotive industry

Ontario's car manufacture employs good implicit 100,000 radical successful the province, but its interconnectedness with the U.S. car manufacture makes tariffs a superior menace to those jobs, according to radical successful the sector.

Auto workers astatine a General Motors (GM) works successful Oshawa accidental the interaction of tariffs was connected everyone's caput Tuesday morning, and nary 1 is definite astir the aboriginal of their jobs.

"There's a batch of panic," worker Jacob Lyte told CBC Radio's Metro Morning extracurricular the works arsenic helium got disconnected his shift. 

"I've been present my full life. I'm third-generation GM," Lyte said. "Maybe my kids would similar to enactment present someday, but with the tariffs, that mightiness not beryllium possible."

The works makes the Chevrolet Silverado, and its parts transverse the borderline betwixt six and 8 times earlier completion, according to the caput of the national that represents the plant's workers. 

"We're astir apt facing the biggest concern situation we've ever faced," Unifor Local 222 president Jeff Gray said.

The interaction of tariffs could outgo hundreds of thousands of jobs successful Ontario, according to Peter Morrow, an economical prof astatine the University of Toronto, who says helium expects car assemblage assembly lines could soon unopen down if tariffs enactment successful place.

"I deliberation the car assemblage is truly going to beryllium crushed zero for a batch of this economical disruption," Morrow said. "I wouldn't beryllium amazed if it was connected the bid of the 2009 recession."

WATCH | A look astatine Oshawa's GM works and tariff impacts connected the car sector: 

But the interaction volition apt beryllium felt some ways, says Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association. 

Volpe says Trump whitethorn reconsider his presumption if autoworkers commencement getting laid disconnected successful states that helped him triumph the presidency successful 2024.

"Maybe that's the benignant of smack he's going to need," Volpe said. "He's walking the U.S. system implicit the edge. Who wins?"

Steel industry

Like the car industry, Canadian alloy producers trust heavy connected commercialized with the U.S.

Layoffs were already announced up of Trump's tariff deadline astatine Algoma Steel successful Sault Ste. Marie, which sells coil for automotive and appliance operation successful the U.S.

Union leaders astatine the works accidental they could beryllium temporary, depending connected however agelong tariffs are successful place, but much whitethorn beryllium connected the way. 

WATCH Tariffs volition wounded steelworkers connected some sides of border, says national rep: 

Keanin Loomis, president and CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction, says the menace of tariffs had already made alloy much expensive, slowing accumulation and causing contracts to beryllium cancelled.

"So, successful fact, we are dealing with higher prices astatine this infinitesimal — and, arsenic of today, higher adjacent yet," helium told Metro Morning Tuesday.

Loomis, who's based successful Hamilton, location to 1 of the highest concentrations of alloy manufacturing enactment successful the country, says Canadian alloy producers don't person the inventory to get done a prolonged commercialized war.

"It's truly a bittersweet day," Loomis said. "We've been targeted by a bully friend."

Trucking

Then there's the assemblage that's connected the beforehand lines of cross-border trade: trucking.

Stephen Laskowski, CEO and president of the Ontario Trucking Association, says 2025 has been hectic. 

"Prior to the opening of the year, we had 1 of the slowest freight recessions successful astir apt 40 years," helium said. "But recently, there's been a large uptake successful business, not due to the fact that the economy's changed, but due to the fact that radical are trying to unreserved their merchandise implicit the borderline to debar this date."

While truckers don't wage tariffs, Laskowski says trucking companies crossed Ontario are disquieted that concern volition dilatory down oregon clients volition determination accumulation south.

He says that would "put a semipermanent damper connected the request for trucking services, and, rather frankly, our economy." 

Anita Anand, Canada's Minister of Internal Trade and Transportation, says Ottawa is moving to region interprovincial commercialized barriers, saying it volition marque it easier for truckers and goods to determination crossed the country, and adding a imaginable $200 cardinal to the Canadian economy.

'Buy Canadian' mindset taking hold

Even Canadians whose jobs mightiness not beryllium affected by tariffs volition person to woody with higher prices connected a assortment of goods.

CBC Toronto spoke with respective shoppers extracurricular a Metro market store successful the city's eastbound extremity Tuesday greeting who said they're acrophobic astir prices going up with the outgo of surviving already truthful high.

WATCH | Toronto shoppers accidental tariffs are changing their market lists: 

"Everything is precise expensive. Now, this is mode much expensive," said Mahasim Chowdhury. He says he's trying to bargain lone Canadian products to prevention wealth and enactment Canadian businesses.

Some stores are already marking which products are made successful Canada connected their shelves.

"I was conscionable successful determination and I overheard 3 antithetic radical say, is that Canadian?" said shopper Holly Lipsett. 

Ontario municipalities are besides encouraging radical to bargain Canadian, including Toronto, wherever Mayor Olivia Chow is moving with concern and labour leaders connected a program to combat tariffs.

The metropolis is besides moving with section Business Improvement Areas to enactment tiny businesses done the commercialized war, Chow said Tuesday.

In Brampton, Mayor Patrick Brown announced a "Made successful Canada" procurement argumentation for the metropolis Tuesday. The metropolis volition reappraisal existent agreements with U.S.-owned companies and artifact American companies from participating successful aboriginal metropolis procurements.

Brown has besides created a task unit to assistance section businesses find non-U.S. markets. The metropolis is location to a fig of sectors that trust connected exporting to the U.S., including car parts, steel, and aluminium industries.

WATCH | Trudeau responds to U.S. tariffs successful code to nation: