Overview
- The federal government launched the Commodities Sectoral Support Program Monday in Hamilton to reimburse 50% of eligible rail and marine interprovincial shipping costs for certified Canadian-made steel.
- The program has a $100‑million envelope, runs for one year or until the money is spent, and caps a single producer’s cumulative rebate at $50 million.
- Ottawa framed the measure as a direct response to U.S. tariffs on Canadian metals, which have ranged roughly from 10% to 50% and have raised costs and shifted trade flows for producers and buyers.
- Steel companies and shipping groups praised the rebate as a way to lower costs and strengthen national supply chains, while Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and others proposed alternatives such as extending the fuel excise holiday or cutting the industrial carbon tax.
- Officials warned the fund could be exhausted quickly and said the program could be adjusted or extended based on uptake; they also signaled the government is considering similar support for the forest sector and other targeted measures to protect supply chains.