Hamilton, Sault Ste Marie and Windsor-Essex Chamber calling for a national steel industry strategy through a joint policy resolution

Hamilton, ON, August 17th — The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce partnered with its counterparts in Sault Ste Marie and the Windsor-Essex Region to urge the Canadian Government to focus policy efforts on developing a Canadian steel industry strategy.

The three Chambers have each lent their names to a policy resolution authored by the Hamilton Chamber to be submitted for discussion at the 2016 Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Annual General Meeting, taking place September 17-19 in Regina, SK.

If adopted by the CCC, the resolution, and the recommended actions contained in the resolution, would become one of a number of key priorities identified by the Canadian Chamber and form part of the framework for the advocacy efforts undertaken by the organization at the national and federal level.

“As local chambers with significant steel industries, we wanted to highlight the key role it plays in the Canadian export economy, as well as a building block for manufacturing and infrastructure activities across the country.” Keanin Loomis, President & CEO, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. “It is important for the government to recognize our global pressures and provide leadership to help create a level playing field in the global market supplemented by targeted innovation and procurement support.”

Loomis also notes that recent studies have shown that Canadian steel producers create over 22,000 direct and more than 100,000 indirect jobs through nineteen facilities across five provinces, with over $14 billion in annual sales. He adds that “the economic impact grows exponentially with steel’s role in supplying industries like automotive, aerospace and oil and gas manufacturing across Canada. According to one study, the steel industry has a multiplier of approximately 3.3:1; meaning that every direct job within the industry supports 3.3 jobs in other sectors.”

The resolution which will be submitted to the Canadian Chamber states:

Support the Canadian Steel Industry and its Supply Chain Clusters

The Canadian steel industry is a cornerstone of our national economy. It constitutes not only steel producers but also the role it plays as a supplier and innovator for numerous manufacturing industries across the country. Recently, a combination of increased regulation, the instability of the global market economy and unfair market behavior by foreign competitors has led to a sharp decline in their ability of our steel industry to compete globally.

The Hamilton, Sault Ste. Marie and Windsor-Essex Chambers recommend that the federal government follow the role played by other competitive jurisdictions in focusing dedicated public policy and investment efforts toward the steel industry, its natural clusters and the innovation it creates. This includes addressing ongoing unfair trade practices by foreign nations. To read the draft recommendations CLICK HERE

The policy has already received media coverage in American Metal Market and the Windsor Star. Update: Coverage by the Hamilton Spectator

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For more information please contact: Huzaifa Saeed | Policy & Research Analyst | Hamilton Chamber of Commerce | e: h.saeed@hamiltonchamber.ca

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