$ 1,500 more for an Ford F-150? The possible impacts of Trump prices

As a press scrum on Tuesday, he described the American measure as “very destructive” and said that the Americans “express the pain they will feel” before the mid-term elections in 2026.

To see | 25% prices on “totally unjustifiable” steel and aluminum, says Legault

“This is much more that will make the administration move than letters you could write,” he said.

“Ridiculous” prices

François Legault, for his part, called “ridiculous” the aluminum and steel prices that Donald Trump wishes to impose, upon arrival in Washington on Tuesday.

“Just take aluminum. In the United States, it consumes 5.9 million tonnes of aluminum per year and they just produce 800,000, 14 % of their needs, “said the Prime Minister.

“So, it’s ridiculous what it does,” he said, adding that it was unthinkable to “replace” Quebec aluminum.

Customs duties of 25 % provided by US President Donald Trump on imports of steel and aluminum would also be added to any general prices on all Canadian products, which would lead to a total price of 50 % on these metals, said an official of the White House who confirmed the behind the scenes.

Mr. Legault also met on Tuesday, representatives of Association aluminum, Rio Tinto and Alcoa, before which he said that Quebec aluminum can find takers elsewhere.

“It should not be excluded, among other things, that aluminum produced in Quebec is sent to Europe or elsewhere, because it does not have a good sense to be imposed on these prices,” he said.

Renegotiate with aluminum as a lever?

Later in a press scrum, he supported his remarks, suggesting to use aluminum as a lever to renegotiate the Canada-US-Mexico agreement as soon as possible, before the 2026 deadline.

“What is more and more urgent to protect the jobs of Quebecers is to make a new understanding with Mr. Trump, (…) winner-win, that is to say that we share the industries,” he said.

He believes that Mr. Trump expects to make earnings, especially with regard to manufacturing jobs in the United States.

“It can be a Pandora’s box, a bit like reopening the Canadian Constitution to settle something, then finally, everyone arrives with their agenda and we do not go out,” said Jean Simard.