Kinew commits $1.5M to tariff-impacted industries, orders Manitoba to buy only Canadian-made steel

Darren Bernhardt · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 2:31 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

The Manitoba authorities is giving a assistance of $1.5 cardinal to the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters to make a programme to enactment industries impacted by the Trump tariffs.

Premier Wab Kinew says helium has besides ordered the provincial civilian work to guarantee from present connected that Canadian-made alloy is utilized "anytime we physique something, anytime we bargain something, anytime we get a portion of equipment."

He made the announcements Thursday astatine the Gerdau Ameristeel Manitoba mill successful Selkirk, just northbound of Winnipeg, backed by a ample Canadian emblem and dozens of alloy workers successful hardhats.

"Our authorities commits to you that your jobs are going to beryllium here, the Selkirk alloy mill is going to beryllium present and we're going to person a beardown alloy assemblage successful Manitoba agelong aft Donald Trump leaves office," Kinew said.

"We gotta basal up for our mode of beingness and we person to basal up for the existent northbound beardown and free. And that's what contiguous is each about."

The U.S. president imposed a 25 per cent tariff connected Canadian alloy and aluminum, among different products, connected March 12.

Asked whether his declaration that alloy jobs won't vanish means determination won't be layoffs, Kinew didn't hesitate.

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying. We're going to enactment together," helium said, pointing to loans and different fiscal supports announced successful the budget.

"If propulsion comes to shove and we get to a tougher situation, I tin archer you that the curate of concern has a full binder afloat of contingency plans we tin activate," helium said.

However, helium says, the archetypal measurement successful helping businesses enactment afloat is to enactment them done the proviso chain, which is wherefore helium gave the Canadian steel procurement directive.

Asked whether that will make things much costly for the province, Kinew said "if the authorities of Manitoba has to put a fewer much dollars to guarantee we're creating and sustaining alloy jobs present successful our province, past that's what we request to do.

"There has, implicit the years, been a outgo to being inexpensive erstwhile we walk your taxation dollars. We ever privation to get bully worth for money, but on the way, sometimes, that's led to contractors and subcontractors utilizing alloy that's brought successful from different countries," helium said.

"Right now, successful this infinitesimal of a commercialized warfare …  it's truly important that we deliberation done however we physique up this country.

The commercialized warfare is an economical situation Canada never asked for, but is acceptable to fight, Kinew said.

"When it comes to patriotism, erstwhile it comes to the maple leafage and rallying astir the flag, past I deliberation each azygous Manitoban that I cognize is consenting to measurement up," helium said.

"I americium not going to fto Donald Trump instrumentality manufacturing jobs distant from Manitoba."

However, Kinew balked erstwhile asked however the authorities is helping tariff-affected workers astatine Eascan Automation. The Winnipeg-based institution laid disconnected astir a 3rd of its employees as orders for its products dried up owed to the commercialized war.

"I'm not going to knock anyone but Donald Trump," the premiers said erstwhile asked whether he was disappointed by the company's decision.

There are national authorities supports done employment security and the work-share program, Kinew said, and repeated the fiscal packages his authorities has prepared.

As for $1.5-million assistance to the CME, it will beryllium utilized the to help businesses "plan to run successful this caller environment," Kinew said.

The expertise of CME — Canada's largest commercialized and manufacture relation — makes it a beardown spouse to scope manufacturers and equip them with accusation and enactment to look the economical uncertainty of the projected tariffs, according to a authorities quality merchandise that accompanied Thursday's announcement.

The programme to beryllium offered by CME will include training connected tariffs and marketplace diversification, a acme to beforehand business-to-business connections and fiscal enactment for tariff-planning consultations, the merchandise says.

Gerdau was established successful 1907 successful Winnipeg (as Manitoba Rolling Mills) earlier relocating to the southbound extremity of Selkirk successful 1913.

It continues to beryllium the single-largest leader successful the city, which is besides location to Karrich Industries and Castle Metals, 2 different players successful the alloy industry.

More than 70 per cent of the alloy produced successful the metropolis heads southbound of the border, Mayor Larry Johannson has antecedently told CBC News.

"They process implicit 400,000 tons of scrap automobiles, railcars, bridges, and much each twelvemonth to nutrient immoderate of the cleanest recycled alloy successful the world," Johannson said connected Thursday.

"Gerdau supports implicit 721 vendors crossed the state with galore much extracurricular of it, serving arsenic the cardinal subordinate successful Western Canada's alloy hub."